The end of Sauron’s reign didn’t mean Lord of the Rings‘ Mordor suddenly became safe. The land was still scarred by war, its inhabitants had their own problems to deal with, and some of the Lord of the Rings creatures associated with the Dark Lord’s domain didn’t simply disappear when he did. Sauron’s threat has always lingered over the franchise, and that’s true for Wolves of Mordor, too.
The story naturally moves away from the land once Sauron is defeated, leaving much of what happens afterward open to interpretation. That gives games set in Middle-earth plenty of room to expand on the aftermath of the War of the Ring (especially when they have been doing so for nearly two decades). One upcoming Lord of the Rings expansion is leaning heavily into that idea, taking players into a previously unexplored part of Mordor where new threats are beginning to emerge.
Wolves of Mordor Finally Gets a Release Date
After being announced earlier this year, The Lord of the Rings Online: The Wolves of Mordor now has an official release date. The expansion is set to launch on October 21, 2026, giving The Lord of the Rings Online players less than three weeks to wait before heading into its new corner of Middle-earth (and back into Mordor in the process). The expansion is centered on Draugardh, a region beyond Gorgoroth that has remained largely unexplored (and, fittingly, is home to some pretty nasty creatures and Lord of the Rings lore).
Find the odd one out before the timer hits zero.
The Wolves of Mordor isn’t simply adding another stretch of Mordor for players to run through, though. The Lord of the Rings Online expansion introduces several new areas, including Heledhris, Parth Rhavas, and Nan Ogol, while its story involves wolf-revering Easterlings and a wolf-wraith that has been unleashed. Were-wolves are also among the major enemies players will encounter, giving the expansion a distinctly different flavor from the usual post-Sauron cleanup and making its Halloween-approximate release date all the more fitting.
The Lord of the Rings Online is also adding new progression and housing features alongside the expansion’s story content. Survival Instincts gives players new Tactics, Lessons, Skill Sets, and Enhancements to work with, while the Neighbors system allows characters to bring companions into their homes and develop relationships with them through stories, gifts, and daily missions. The expansion is ultimately doing more than simply opening another section of the map.
October 21 is now the important date for The Lord of the Rings Online, as The Wolves of Mordor will give players a new reason to return to a part of Middle-earth that has traditionally been defined by Sauron’s presence.
- Released
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April 24, 2007
- ESRB
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T For Teen due to Blood and Gore, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
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Standing Stone Games
