The Lord Of The Rings Online: Mines Of Moria Launches

November 18, 2008

THE LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINE:
MINES OF MORIA LAUNCHES

The First Expansion for the
Award-Winning Massively Multiplayer Online Game Now Available

Turbine, Inc. announced today that
The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria is now available for purchase
across North America and Europe. Mines of Moria expands the award-winning online
world of Middle-earth and allows players to explore the ancient underground
cities of the dwarves, battle epic characters in the depths, face off with the
Watcher, be a part of the fateful release of Durin’s Bane and more! In addition
to extending the challenge to new heights, Mines of Moria will introduce two new
classes, ten additional levels, hundreds of new quests, and the highly
anticipated Legendary Item system.

“The Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO)
has established itself as one of the world’s premium MMOs for successfully
integrating story into a game that features innovative and entertaining
advancement through an immersive and breathtaking world,” said Jeffrey Steefel,
Executive Producer of The Lord of the Rings Online. “Mines of Moria will raise
the bar with the introduction of Legendary Items, a massive new system that will
let players advance unique and powerful weapons and items that grow in might
alongside their hero. These unique and powerful weapons will be by our players’
sides to aid in the challenging adventures that await them as we continue to
journey through Middle-earth through the next several volumes of the game in
years to come.”

Some of the new features in the
Mines of Moria expansion include*:

  • Forge Legendary Items! – The Mines
    of Moria introduces Turbine’s revolutionary new item advancement system to
    LOTRO. Players can now forge unique weapons and class-related equipment and
    evolve them to build a legacy the likes of Bilbo’s Sting and Gandalf’s
    Glamdring™. These legendary weapons grow in power along with the player
    through their adventures and are customized by advancing the item’s virtues,
    adding runic legacies and modifying its title.

  • Speak Friend, and Enter – Moria,
    called Khazad-dm by the dwarves, was their capital and the grandest of
    cities. This enormous underground world in north-western Middle-earth
    comprises an immense network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls
    beneath the Misty Mountains and represent one of the largest and most
    dangerous online underground environments ever created. Starting today players
    can journey through hundreds of new adventures and battle goblin hordes and
    the Nameless of the Deep in the ancient city underground which has served as
    the foundation for the modern-day dungeon-crawling adventures.

  • The Epic Story Continues! — The
    Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria begins Volume II of The Lord of the
    Rings Online storyline. Players will experience six new books rich with new
    characters and content and face the fiery wrath of Durin’s Bane, battle the
    Watcher, bring aid to the Lady Galadriel and more.

  •  Increased Level Cap —
    Players can now advance their characters up to level 60, opening access to a
    wealth of new traits, virtues, skills and class quests. The crafting system
    also now offers a new Tier and gives players the ability to join crafting
    guilds to create even more powerful items.

  • Discover Two New Classes — The
    Rune-keeper and the Warden, the first new classes to be introduced since the
    launch of the game, offer players the opportunity to create all-new characters
    and experience LOTRO in exciting new ways.

The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines
of Moria Complete Edition, which includes the original game, The Lord of the
Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™ (Volume I), all content updates released since
launch, and Mines of Moria (Volume II) is now available for purchase at major
retailers across North America. The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria
Collector’s Edition is also now available for purchase at major retailers and
includes all of the content of the Complete Edition as well as certain unique
digital and physical items for collectors. A third option for existing LOTRO
subscribers is The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Digital Expansion,
available online at www.lotro.com.  For
more information on The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria, please visit
www.lotro.com/moria.