On the forums, the team emerged to address the controversy and offer limited reassurance:
We encourage lower-level players to make use of the incredible player community in LOTRO and get a little help from friends, kinships, and even kindly strangers to complete quests that go far afield. Also keep in mind that most of the rewards come from completing a single quest for each year. Our goal was to keep the event light and fun, where you could dip your toe in and get something out of it.
But here’s the important thing: the Scavenger Hunt will be back next year. The quests you have completed will remain completed and the ones that remain will be waiting for you. Of course, there will also be an eleventh year to finish, but that’s time for you. It marches onward for all the free peoples, even the Elves.
Other issues, such as the Year 2 Reflections instances being bugged and the accessibility of the Dead Marshes are being looked at by the team.
