Update: SSG has postponed this patch – full update at the end.
It must be some royal Hobbit’s birthday today because gifts are flying out from Middle-earth in record quantities. Lord of the Rings Online is bestowing a ton of goodies upon its playerbase today with the release of Update 41.2.
The giveaway begins with a new free instance called The Dragon and the Storm as part of Daybreak’s Year of the Dragon: “This instance is available for up to six players with level 150 characters. Kindred of the Coins member Rothog sent the hunter Shaidal to acquire a fearsome ‘dragon’, and this story from the Tales of the Kindred story line culminates in witnessing the conclusion of Rothog’s quest to entertain the people of Umbar!”
On top of that, LOTRO is making the Before the Shadows content pack (with the new tutorial, Swanfleet, and Cardolan zones) available to all players instead of merely VIP. Then there’s a free coupon for a steed, a green drake portrait frame, and a Golden Drakeling pet to grab as well.
Update 41.2 also comes with several balance adjustments, including more work on the Lore-master, the Hard Tack crafting event, and Monster Play balance.
Source: LOTRO
Update
Apparently, SSG has postponed the update until tomorrow. “Unfortunately we ran into an issue during deployment today and we are unable to deploy Update 41.2 today,” the studio says. “We will be reopening the game worlds with the same build as yesterday and we will schedule today’s planned update for tomorrow.”