The long-running MMO The Lord of the Rings Online is set to receive its newest expansion, Before the Shadow, on November 9, 2022, and it appears to have a lot to offer. With LOTRO thus far exploring the story of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the years following it, this expansion will serve as a sort of prequel, showing events leading up to Frodo's departure from the Shire. Accompanying that story will be a slate of new content suitable for new and veteran players alike.
Before the Shadow's place in the LOTR timeline also corresponds to its content, which is heavily focused around the early-game experience. The expansion will provide low-level players with new storylines and regions to explore, as a revamping of LOTRO's onboarding process. This overhaul is a part of a larger initiative by the developers to modernize Lord of the Rings Online; a graphics update and console releases are supposedly on their way as well, originally meant to release alongside The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power to capitalize on the inevitable influx of fans. While players wait for those updates to arrive, they can explore Before the Shadow's new quests, features, and locations.
Headlining the new content coming to Lord of the Rings Online in Before the Shadow is two new regions: the Dünedain realm of Cardolan and the marshes of Swanfleet. These regions will provide content for players of level 1 through 32, constituting a sizable chunk of early gameplay. New characters will be able to play through four Books of new quests, including a six-player Instance, a Skirmish, and themed daily and weekly missions. Before the Shadow's quests will implement a new "Delving" difficulty system, allowing players to raise the difficulty to earn greater rewards. With these robust changes, the best time to play LOTR Online as a newcomer is now.
LOTRO's Newest Expansion Gives Players A New Beginning
In Before the Shadow, Lord of the Rings Online players will experience events leading directly up to the start of the original trilogy firsthand. As the Uruk-Hai threaten the lands of Men, the Nazgûl hasten their search for "Baggins", and Boromir makes his way to Rivendell, these events will serve as the foundation for the journeys of new players. LOTRO has expanded beyond the original trilogy's story in the past, but players have rarely had the opportunity to experience Middle-earth's past alongside its present. This new framework will tie player characters even more intrinsically into the events of Lord of the Rings, giving them a hand in kicking off its story rather than attaching them to it after it has already begun.
By introducing the events of Before the Shadow, LOTR Online lets players become Middle-earth's heroes to an unprecedented degree. This updated experience for new players isn't as substantial as some other expansions, but it can capitalize on the rising renaissance of Lord of the Rings to revitalize LOTRO. When Before the Shadow releases on November 9, 2022, it may mark the beginning of a new era in the lifespan of Lord of the Rings Online.