The Lord of the Rings Online's next major expansion, Legacy of Morgoth, is slated to arrive next month, bringing four new regions, new quests, and continues the story started in last year's expansion.
The new expansion further explores the southeast of Middle-earth, venturing further into the lands of Near Harad. Four new regions are coming with this year's expansion, such as Ambarûl or the harsh desert of Khûd Zagin, and it's interesting to see how the LotRO team has envisioned one of the lesser explored areas in Tolkien's lore. Personally, I'm excited to explore the petrified forest in the region of Imhûlar as I think this might be the first time in any MMO I've played where this type of environment was presented.
Via the official Legacy of Morgoth landing page:
"Venture into the untamed wilds of Near Harad, where ancient secrets lurk beneath sun-scorched sands and treacherous marshlands! Feel the thrill of discovery as you race against time, deciphering cryptic maps and forging unlikely alliances. In this land of hidden perils and breathtaking vistas, your choices will shape the fate of Middle-earth.
With courage as your compass, pursue cunning traitors through scorching deserts, petrified forests, and wind-carved canyons. Stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the fierce and enigmatic peoples of this land to prevent against a coming darkness more terrifying than Mordor's shadow. For in these mysterious lands awaits something that few would have dreamed in their most terrible of nightmares: the Legacy of Morgoth."
Legacy of Morgoth also comes with new quests, over 350 of them according to the expansion page launched on the official website this morning, and will continue the story that kicked off in last year's Corsairs of Umbar expansion. Legacy of Morgoth will also have instances to quest through as well as a raid, though the raid itself doesn't seem to be launching with the expansion. Instead, that raid is slated to launch sometime no later that February 2025.
As with all LotRO expansions, there are multiple tiers you can buy, from the standard $39.99 package that comes with the expansion, a character slot, and title, all the way up to the $129.99 Ultimate Fan Bundle which comes with the usual laundry list of cosmetics, titles, convenience items, mounts and more.
The Lord of the Rings Online released a new trailer to celebrate the announcement, and it's a vibe for sure. Bill Champagne's music is definitely giving me Lawrence of Arabia vibes, and honestly it's still refreshing to see such a drastically different landscape as the featured location after years of forests, grasslands and the deep places of the world.
