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Turbine takes control of LOTRO Europe

Codemasters hands MMO back 1st June.

From 1st June, the European Lord of the Rings Online service will be run by game maker Turbine.

Up until now this had been overseen by Codemasters Online Gaming.

On 1st June, American and European services will become LOTRO Global Service. Servers won't be merged, but you'll need to migrate your LOTRO account (a free process). All characters and items will transition flawlessly. Billing details, however, will need re-entering.

Incidentally, European billing methods are being expanded to allow greater options for payment.

Turbine expects there to be "limited service interruption during the changeover".

For other queries, consult the LOTRO Europe migration FAQ.

"After 4 years of successful publishing and operations we are proud to be handing over a vibrant and healthy service to Turbine," said David Solari, head of Codemasters Online Gaming.

Turbine's takeover of LOTRO Europe's day-to-day running follows a very successful switch from a subscription-based MMO to free-to-play. Revenues have tripled now that players aren't required to pay.

The Lord of the Rings Online is free to play.

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