Lord of the Rings Online May Be Getting a Shiny New Update Soon(ish)

Ready to return to Middle Earth?

As we march ahead to Amazon’s upcoming TV adaptation of the widely beloved stories set in Middle Earth, it seems players of the long-running Lord of the Rings Online MMO may be getting something special soon, and by soon, we mean within the next year or two.

As for what exactly is on the horizon for those roaming the forests, plains, and hobbit-holes of the MMO, it seems the focus is squarely on bringing up the game’s visual and technical prowess. In a recent presentation by EG7, who recently purchased Daybreak – the developers behind multiplayer experiences like Planetside 2 and Lord of the Rings Online,  Slide 19 showed us precisely what they have in mind:

“Planning visual and technical updates for LOTRO for PC and next-gen consoles to capitalize on Amazon’s highly publicized large investment (~$500mm) in LOTR TV series.”

It makes sense. As we see companies like Crystal Dynamics bring out popular IP like Marvel’s Avengers, and with the global success such properties have enjoyed over the past decade or so, it’s clear to see why companies such as EG7 want to capitalize on games they now own, and which could be brought up to speed with modern technologies.

World of Warcraft just celebrated its achievement as the fastest-selling PC game of all time, showing there’s a clear and continued interest to offer new experiences and updates for players of MMORPGs that have been running for more than a decade. We don’t know exactly when this update will hit, especially as currently it’s simply marked as a growth opportunity and not a confirmed development plan for the company. Still, it’s an exciting development, and I’m sure more than a few Tolkien fans are starting to get just a bit excited.

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