Middle-earth is about to get a little darker, as Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is set to lose its online achievements and features at the end of this year. Game pages on Steam, the Microsoft Store, and the PlayStation Store have been updated to reflect the changes, which will take place on December 31, 2020.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a non-canonical open world action adventure title based on J.R.R. Tolkien's critically acclaimed Lord of the Rings book trilogy and legendarium. It was originally released in November 2014 on the cusp between seventh and eight generation consoles for PlayStation 3 and 4 and Xbox 360 and One. It follows the Ranger Talion and the ghost of the elf Celebrimbor in Talion's quest for vengeance against Sauron and the dark forces he commands. The game was similarly acclaimed upon its release and was followed up with DLC and a sequel, Middle-earth: Shadow of War, in 2017.
Steam, the Microsoft Store, and the PlayStation Store detail the features that will no longer be available after December 31. The game will still be playable without the online features set for deprecation, but players are encouraged to wrap up a few things before the clock chimes midnight, especially those chasing the PlayStation's Platinum Trophy. The Nemesis Forge feature, Vendetta missions and Leaderboards, and WBPlay will no longer be available after the end of the year. While the epic runes “Orc Hunter” and “Gravewalker” will automatically be awarded to all players once WBPlay is deprecated, players looking to score the Repaid in Blood achievement must finish the Vendetta mission before the end. In addition, players will no longer be able to transfer their in-game Nemeses to Middle-earth: Shadow of War after the Nemesis Forge shuts down for good.
It's not surprising the online aspects of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor are about to be cast into the fire - Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment likely doesn't want to keep paying for online features for a title that's over 6 years old. While the changes won't affect the core gameplay, the deprecation will definitely still feel like a loss. The Nemesis Forge, while far from perfect, offered some continuity between Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and the sequel, Middle-earth: Shadow of War by allowing players to transfer their top Nemeses and Followers from the former to the latter.
Meanwhile, the Vendetta missions, which tasked players to hunt down and kill Orc captains responsible for killing players' friends, apart from offering the satisfaction of a good old-fashioned revenge, rewarded players with a decent amount of XP and Power. So, while the features didn't make or break Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, a fantastic open-world game in its own right, they did pepper in some extra flavor that'll make the experience a little blander without. Players keen to snatch up the Repaid in Blood achievement or transfer their top Nemeses and Followers have until December 31, 2020 to take advantage of the online features before they shut down for good.
Source: Steam, The Microsoft Store, The PlayStation Store