Lord of the Rings Online is an MMORPG that launched 14 years ago, which is a long time in the world of video games. Heck, when the game debuted in April 2007, the PS3 had only been out for less than six months, and Instagram was still three years from existence. How time flies. But that Lord of the Rings Online, which originally included the subtitle Shadows of Angmar, has been running this long is something of a success in itself.
Since the game launched on Windows PC it's received major updates and expansions, which added new quests and storylines to in-game regions such as Isengard, Rohan, Gondor, and Mordor. Now, it's been revealed that Lord of the Rings Online will be getting a significant visual overhaul and will get console launches as a major new show, which is set in a JRR Tolkein world, is planned to hit TV screens nex year.
In an investor presentation, that was spotted by Twitter user and Twitcher streamer Miller (per Eurogamer), reliable details were published about forthcoming plans for the MMORPG. The document, which is published online, shows that expansion pack releases are in the pipeline for Lord of the Rings Online. It also describes the game as "the biggest and truest simulation of Tolkien's Middle Earth world online."
The document continues: "Along with Amazon's new streaming series (reported to be the biggest budget series ever) based on the Lord of the Rings IP, Daybreak is investing in a major revamp to upgrade the visuals, modernize the experience and release on consoles." These details are published as part of an investor presentation, which is available online. 'Daybreak' refers to the publisher of Lord of the Rings Online.
Amazon's forthcoming series is set in the world envisaged in JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books, and is reportedly based on the wider mythology that the English author created for his signature fantasy series. The Amazon series is set to launch in September 2, 2022, and is said to have cost an incredibly large amount of money to produce. While this new streaming series is not directly connected to Lord of the Rings Online, it is clear that the game's owners want to make the most of the hype that will likely surround the release of Amazon's show, and time the planned upgrades and console launches accordingly.
In Lord of the Rings Online players can choose between races such as Dwarves, Elves, Hobbites, and Men, and it all takes place in Middle-earth. This is all quite ironic considering that the book on which the game is based, The Lord of the Rings, has been enormously influential on fantasy MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft and RuneScape, or basically any game that features dwarves and elves and orcs, since it published in 1954.
It isn't yet known which consoles the game will launch on, but considering the console versions won't arrive until later next year, it seems the PS5 and Xbox Series are the more likely platforms, but we will have to wait and see.