LOTRO to relaunch as free-to-play

By Oli Welsh Published 4 June, 2010

Worldwide this autumn, DDO-style.

Warner Bros. has announced that Turbine's The Lord of the Rings Online MMO will relaunch worldwide this autumn as a free-to-play game.

The move will follow the model established by Turbine's successful relaunch of Dungeons & Dragons Online in the US last year, with a large chunk of the game available for free and extra content, items, features and services on sale via an in-game store.

Alternatively, you'll be able to pay a VIP subscription for unlimited access to premium content.

European LOTRO operator Codemasters Online is on board with the change and the new service will launch in autumn across North America and Europe. (Codemasters still operates DDO as a traditional subscription game in Europe.)

Beta testing for free LOTRO begins on 16th June and you can sign up at the LOTRO website.

The press release calls the relaunch a "major update" and refers to the game "extending its award-winning story", but there is no explicit promise of new content alongside the relaunch just yet.

You'll be able to play up to level 50 - the level cap of the original version of the game, Shadows of Angmar - for free. In the LOTRO Store, you will be able to purchase "convenience items", expansion packs, premium content, additional character slots, potions and character customisation options.

We imagine that the content available to buy in the Store will include that currently sold in the Mines of Moria and Siege of Mirkwood expansions, which between them have raised the level cap to 65.

The VIP offering will grant unlimited access to all premium content, priority server access, five character slots, a shared bank slot and a monthly stipend of points to spend in the LOTRO store "for one low price". The price is yet to be revealed.

Warner Bros. acquired Turbine back in April, thus completing its collection of all videogame rights to The Lord of the Rings.

Since its free-to-play relaunch in September 2009, Dungeons & Dragons Online has attracted one million players, boosted revenues by 500 per cent, and even doubled the number of traditional subscribers to the game. A recent survey put it as the third most-played MMO in the US after World of Warcraft and RuneScape.

The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, Mines of Moria and Siege of Mirkwood scored 9/10, 9/10 and 8/10 respectively on Eurogamer.

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About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (51) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Shikasama #1 2 years ago

    I'll definitely give it a whirl then. I have friends that play DDO and the model they have (where you can swap real cash for time, rather than game advantages) is very well implemented

  • rosshuts #2 2 years ago

    sounds like a smart move ala DDO. I liked LOTRO a lot when the game was first out and stopped playing for no real reason (Maybe WOW) and never tried the add-ons. Will certainly re-think this though!

  • lucasmax #3 2 years ago

    The problem is codemasters had a special offer on lifetime memberships a month or two ago, I bet those people are feeling a little cheated about now.

  • rayscoota #4 2 years ago

    Im in, was looking for a new mmo since I got bored with the wow treadmill

  • iamian #5 2 years ago

    The lifetime subs will likely get a free VIP sub with the new system.
    I tried out the DDO f2p a while back but didn't get that far with it - nothing wrong with it, I just had other stuff to play.
    I do remember hearing from people though that there were some missions throughout the game as 'premium' missions that you had to pay for. Does anyone know the full details? D'you think it'll be the same scenario here?

  • GreatBlackthorn #6 2 years ago

    Great news for a great game.

  • berelain #7 2 years ago

    @ Lucasmax - the lifetime sub offer is stil open (£75) and if you have a lifetime sub, you get upgraded to VIP status for life as iamian guessed.

    LOTRO is a bloody awesome game that nowhere near enough people played. Thats probably partly why the community is so utterly brilliant, too.

  • Gunzberg #8 2 years ago

    Hopefully this will give it more players.

    Am a lifetime subscriber on Snowbourn and can never find groups for quests rather than raids or instances

  • Machetazo #9 2 years ago

    [link url=http://ww w.lotro-europe.com/freetoplay/faq/
    ]http://ww w.lotro-europe.com/freetoplay/f...[/link]

    Extensive FAQ provides full details, for the Codemasters Euro version. :)
    Edited by 1 at 04/06/10 @ 14:38

  • Sharzam #10 2 years ago

    I just bought a lifetime sub when was half price during a welcome back week, *grumble* better get my value

    edit: more important thourgh is that more people playing is better for everyone in a mmo. So bollocks to me better we have a good player base :)
    Edited by 1 at 04/06/10 @ 14:45

  • [maven] #11 2 years ago

    I still would like a native Mac client.

  • actionfitz #12 2 years ago

    "European LOTRO operator Codemasters Online is on board with the change and the new service will launch in autumn across North America and Europe. (Codemasters still operates DDO as a traditional subscription game in Europe.)"

    wow. I fully expected to read it was staying sub based in europe like D&DO...
    wondering how many subscribe in europe rather than register with the yank servers.

  • Drpwnage #13 2 years ago

    Good luck to them, with no subscription I am sure this tactic is to pick up players from WoW as if MMO's are your thing, a free to play model removes the cost-barrier to players who can run the game alongside WoW then swap over to a premium LoTRO sub when boredom with WoW sets in.

  • actionfitz #14 2 years ago

    @ rosshuts


    me too.

  • sneetch #15 2 years ago

    Brilliant, I like LOTRO but didn't play often enough in any month to really justify a subscription fee, I'll definitely be downloading this though.

  • anomagnus #16 2 years ago

    A very smart move. If you consider how little subs DDO had before the free to play launch, and how many players they have now - you can see it was a sucess.

    I'll defo be giving LOTRO a whirl now, when i wont feel compelled to play it to get my moneys worth out of it

  • Lee_Morris #17 2 years ago

    500% dam that's swish.No wonder they're converting LOTRO. Strange they haven't done the same for D&DO with an increase like that in the US. The mentality of European users can't be that different can it.

  • tenebrae #18 2 years ago

    Interesting. But since I am a lifetime member already, the only change for me is the 500 free monthly points I can spend in the online shop.

    EDIT: Why DDO EU is not in this model, I assume, is the lawsuit.
    Edited by 1 at 04/06/10 @ 15:33

  • hiddenranbir #19 2 years ago

    Free to play.

    Guess Guild Wars 1 & 2 is really influencing.


    From FAQ:

    "As a LOTRO Founder, you automatically become a VIP and will keep all of your membership privileges as long as you pay your monthly fee"

    So we do end up having a monthly fee?
    Edited by 2 at 04/06/10 @ 15:41

  • Balboa #20 2 years ago

    @hiddenranbir - look lower down, for "I have a lifetime subscription to LOTRO. What will Free-to-Play mean for me?"

    "You will receive 500 Free Points every month like the other VIPs, but you do not have to pay a monthly fee since you are a lifetime member."

  • hiddenranbir #21 2 years ago

    Yes I was about to edit. I mixed founder and life-time subber.

    Hurrah!
    Edited by 1 at 04/06/10 @ 15:54

  • Stratix #22 2 years ago

    Great news! I loved the trail of this but can't afford to pay for multiple MMO's. Will look forward to this.

  • Tyranix #23 2 years ago

    This is going to be huuuuuuuuge.

    I'm a lifetime subscriber and am very excited about this...it will hopefully mean good things for Lotro's future, especially for content updates/size of community etc

  • Ferral #24 2 years ago

    I played for about six months then stopped my sub. Wonder when they relaunch if my old charater will still be available. Certainly hope so as I only stopped my sub due to finances

  • iokthemonkey #25 2 years ago

    So long as the new content costs less than the amount of points I receive per month (or over whatever period elapses between updates) as a lifetime subber, I don't mind. However, if it turns out that I've got to either wait for my points to accrue at the end of the month or if I'm expected to buy additional points, then I'll be pretty pisssed-off.

    I just hope the game's community isn't destroyed by a bunch of NELFHUNTARLOLs and DILDOSHAGENDSLOL.

  • Hunam #26 2 years ago

    It works really well in DDO.

    Some of the more expert classes are locked which to be honest isn't going to bother most folks but what you pay for it new quest hubs in new locations which really is worth the money. You pay for extra game, not a shiny sword.

  • Gaol #27 2 years ago

    This is a great idea; LOTRO never justified a sub for me after the initial period but it'll immediatelly be one of the highest quality free to play MMOs and they will no doubt make a bit of cash on expansions and so forth that they wouldn't have otherwise.

    It's nice to see the lifetime subscribers being philosophical about it as it no doubt dilutes their purchase - but busy servers are better for everyone in the long run.

  • iokthemonkey #28 2 years ago

    My only concern, Gaol, is that I can continue to play any bit of the game I like without having to pay any extra (given I've shelled-out for a lifetime of play.) If the expansions/content packs are free to lifetimers (either directly like they are to DDO subscribers or priced so our monthly 'turbine allowance' covers them without any issue, I'm fine with it. What I'd be annoyed at is if I've paid and then I have to pay more or wait for points to accrue before I can continue playing.

  • dylman #29 2 years ago

    I hope they launch it sooner rather than later, there's a Cataclysm shaped juggernaut looming.

  • Gaol #30 2 years ago

    I reckon they will still try to charge lifers for large expansions. These were never included in the lifetime deal as I understand it. I can understand your point of view, and Turbine maybe ought to give this stuff gratis to lifers but I think the temptation to gouge their most active players will be too great. After all, who better to sell an expansion to than someone who has already invested into the game.

    They will need to make sure however that you are getting some reasonable value and choice from your 500 points a month. I've not checked in detail, but I would also expect them to place quite a few restrictions on free accounts a la Anarchy Online etc.

  • organica #31 2 years ago

    It probably says more about me as a twisted misanthrope than it does about the future of the game, but my immediate thought was dismay at the servers becoming busy. To me that means a reduction in the austere, epic atmosphere and a sudden influx of roflcopter morons.

    But hey, internet. Prove me wrong.

  • Prehensile_Plant #32 2 years ago

    The benefits of my lotro still means you'll get more for your money/points/£100 you paid years ago/£75 you paid last week if you have a Turbine account rather than an EU one.
    - My biggest problem is THE FUTURE. Yes, we keep our toon slots. Yes, we don't need to buy quest packs to get to areas we've been playing in for three years. But what about the NEXT content?
    I can see it now in Kin chat:
    "Let's go explore the WONDERFUL new content, O-Fellow Kinmates! Let us rid the pass of orcs and spread the glory of the kinship throughout the land!"
    "Er, sorry, we just spent our monthly 500 allocation on the pretty new dresses."
    "All mine went on a new toon slot. Because I love my RK so much I wanted two."
    "I spent all mine on the extended shared storage slots. I'm stuffed til next month. And the 500 point limit isn't enough anyway. Er, maybe I can just max out the credit card some more...."
    I don't care as much as I should about this F2P malarky. What I care about is giving us meaningful UPDATES as frequently as they USED to appear. Ideally that us saps who have a subscription/lifetime won't have to reach for the credit card to enjoy, whilst still being able to buy the storage space and a couple of pretty dresses.
    I don't think it's going to happen.
    And why the hell are we left with running SG/BG until the bloody AUTUMN? Come on Turbine!

  • AphoticCosmos #33 2 years ago

    This might be enough to get me back into LOTRO. I did enjoy it when it first came out. I miss Snowbourn - it was awesome back in the day. Then for no reason about three months in the population of the server imploded. Shame really, I probably would have stayed on otherwise.
    Edited by 1 at 04/06/10 @ 18:58

  • Velios #34 2 years ago

    THE FELLOWSHIP IS BROKEN!!!

  • iokthemonkey #35 2 years ago

    Yeah, sorry, I should have made it clear - I'd expect to pay in some manner for a Moria-style expansion. Basically, I don't want to have to bother worrying about if I can afford to play the current content. I think DDO subscribers can just go to every dungeon/zone without restriction - they're flagged as VIP players and so have all areas access. That's what I want in LOTRO. I don't want to have to interrupt my game by having to go to the store to unlock the cave I'm standing outside of. Vanity items and consumables, fine - I've no problems with that sort of stuff. I don't mean to sound elitist, but non-subbers/lifers paying for content is fine, too. I just think if we're paying/have paid already, having to then shell-out more or have the game's flow interrupted by a visit to the store, then Turbine have made a big mistake.

  • KillerMonkey #36 2 years ago

    Played this for a pretty long time. Awesome game, I had to forcibly pull myself away from it to prevent it from sucking up all my spare time.. So, I guess I could give it a whirl again, eh..

    No! No... nrrgghh... must.... resist!

  • [STARS]TyranT #37 2 years ago

    Well I've been slating this decision all frigging day and yet the general attitude all over is that people love the idea!

    Brilliant.

    Looking forward to seeing some of you on EVERNIGHT :p

    Zaddoc.

  • Shikasama #38 2 years ago

    Tyrant - Whats the general reception been of the people who are already playing?

  • butler` #39 2 years ago

    got a lot of love for lotro, second only to wow in my head

    i think this is a good move for the genre/industry, too, fixed price p/m models will be a thing of the past in 5 years

  • Murton #40 2 years ago

    As a lifer I'm happy enough with this, being grant lifetime VIP status and the occasional freebie in the new shop is actually better deal to the one that lifers already had.

    Free to play with optional subs and microtransactions is the only way forward for MMOs now. The MMO genre is quite possibly the most competitive in the industry and with so many free to play options the games that carry mandatory subs are going to have to up their game if they want to compete.

  • n3rdh8r #41 2 years ago

    I didn't want to play it. But it's FREE! That's better than cheap.

    Between playing games, I suggest everyone read 'Predicatibly Irrational' to learn more about that special price called FREE!

  • Pirotic #42 2 years ago

    Cracking idea, will certainly be giving it a whirl.

  • Kerome #43 2 years ago

    Will definitely give this a go, free is as cheap as it gets and you may as well try it out. I also like their payment model, paying for expansions, potions and vanity items seems perfectly fine. I might even drop a few pennies for a Rune-keeper as main to start off with.

    Though I have to say it looks like it needs an update of the graphics engine - the lighting on the terrain and the characters is pretty dire if you compare it to more recent PC games, eg Fallout 3 or Aion, and better HDR would help as well.

  • r4z0rbl4d3 #44 2 years ago

    @Murton - agreed, we lifers get a sweet deal out of this. I can't wait to see all the new ppl fill up the servers, will spark my interest in the game some more! I need to get my alts up. ;)

  • iokthemonkey #45 2 years ago

    Kerome - I don't think the images you've seen do it justice. LOTRO's landscapes are literally stunning when you see them in-game - you'll see loads of comments from people saying how they've been playing and just stopped suddenly to take in a vista.

    The one thing I have noticed though, is that since coming back from playing Champions Online that the character models DO need some work. I'd never noticed it before but the animations are a little wooden.

  • r4z0rbl4d3 #46 2 years ago

    @iokhemonkey - "LOTRO's landscapes are literally stunning when you see them in-game - you'll see loads of comments from people saying how they've been playing and just stopped suddenly to take in a vista."

    So true, I've done that a lot of times during the years. The game is beautiful! Doesn't hurt that the next update will give the game DirectX 11 support as well!

  • Kerome #47 2 years ago

    @iokthemonkey: Looks like you're right, there are some very old screenshots floating around taken with low-res graphics cards... even on the LotRO site, lol... they should update and shout about the graphics a bit more.

  • doomster71 #48 2 years ago

    The best mmo i've tried alongside wow

  • Trikk #49 2 years ago

    I wonder what prompted this.

    They probably want to make more money. That's the common motivation behind most business decisions.

  • iokthemonkey #50 2 years ago

    They've just appointed a new Executive Producer, too.

    http://ww w.massively.com/2010/06/07/kate...

  • [STARS]TyranT #51 2 years ago


    @ Shikasama

    Aside from a few cynics (of which I was when I first heard it) people are generally looking forward to the new players and fresh blood boosting the game. The updates have been a bit slow this year so I think it's quite welcome.

    From what we can all gather those who are subscribers now wont notice any real difference except that the lower level areas will be more populated.