Lord of the Rings Online’s Rob “Severlin” Ciccolini just posted a new letter from producer for the community, through if you’ve been watching the game’s streams (and reading MOP’s Justin’s excellent recaps), you probably already know most of what’s coming.
In the immediate future, players can expect the formal release of the in-development Wildwood area of Bree-land, along with the Spring Festival, which will include a new group boss and a new “festivity.” Following Wildwood, Standing Stone plans to expand the mission system with the quest arcs, the first of which focuses on Bilbo Baggins himself. Then, update 30 will roll out in the summer.
“This summer brings Update 30: The Blood of Azog to The Lord of the Rings Online! As War of Three Peaks presses on, Durin Stonehelmson prepares to lead the Gabil’akkâ beyond the frozen gates of Mount Gundabad. At the urging of Glóin, Prince Durin sends word to the Lonely Mountain to muster even more Dwarves to Elderslade before the reclamation begins. As you aid in this effort, you’ll discover the tale of Hermáth Stormhammer, a hero of the Battle of Azanulbizar. You’ll experience important moments in the history of Durin’s Folk firsthand, such as the taking of the Oakenshield, the death of Azog, the ever-present danger of Durin’s Bane, and more! Update 30 will feature a new Interlude, new Quests, new Missions, and a new Raid in a Quest Pack that is free to VIPs!”
Emphasis ours, as players will recall that fleecing of VIPs and lifers was a big complaint in 2020. Of course, fall will pave the way for the delayed Gundabad expansion.
Notably, Severlin tells non-traditional players that they’re due for some love too, both in the form of the introduction of The Wastes (and maybe the Grey Mountains) to the legendary servers and… PvMP attention: “On the PvMP side I am happy to let you know that we currently have a designer who has regular time set aside for ongoing development work, and we want to address many of your concerns about PvMP balance and more.”
Finally, Ciccolini spends a line briefing players on the promised revamp for legendary items. Unfortunately, he’s not deleting them from existence; the plan is to “speed up LI leveling for players not at end-game and make […] newer regions more appealing for people working on their items.”
