The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar is currently in development at Turbine's studios in Westwood, Mass. and is expected to launch late in 2006. Codemasters Online Gaming will publish and operate the title across Europe. Language support will include English, French and German.

The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar will allow players to forge heroic legacies in the War for Middle-Earth. Gamers will experience an evolving persistent recreation of Tolkien's world-renowned fantasy realm where they can establish their unique reputations, and discover and wield legendary weapons in strategic battles, while adventuring solo or in Fellowships.

This game spans legendary Eriador, including the pastoral Shire, the Elven enclave of Rivendell, rustic Bree, and more. As the lands of Middle-Earth fall under a growing threat from the dark realm of Angmar, only the mightiest of deeds and the stoutest of hearts can halt the advance of Sauron's minions.

"Our first update significantly expanded the world of Middle-earth with new story arcs, quests, and exciting new kinds of gameplay," said Jeffrey Anderson, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. "For Book 10 we continue the epic story and introduce a ton of new content, but we also are introducing legendary play, a completely new way to experience monster play that enables you to play as a powerful Ranger of the North or a terrible Troll."

New Features :

• Amarthiel, introduced in Book 9: Shores of Evendim, has reclaimed the palantir of Carn Dûm and is now seeking to make Annúminas her new seat of power as she searches for her lost ring of power: Narchuil. The Dúnedain stands against her as the Rangers mount a last, desperate attempt to wrest the palantir from Amarthiel. Before she can find Narchuil, a most dangerous opportunity presents itself that may give the Dúnedain the advantage they need to blind the eye of Angmar.
• Once in the Ettenmoors, players can experience monster play in a completely new way by spending their Destiny Points to play as a powerful Ranger of the North or a terrible Troll to offer a strategic advantage to their allies in the battle for control of the Ettenmoors.
• Friendly barnyard animals love squawking around the landscape, exploring chicken coops, hunting for worms and more! Players can now explore Middle-earth from a different – and sometimes unexpected – viewpoint as a chicken, the first of many new playable critters that will be added to the game in the future.
• Book 10 introduces the Reputation and Bartering systems. The Reputation system enables players to earn positive and negative standing with different races and groups in Middle-earth based on both monster kills and quest completions. The Bartering system allows players to trade trophies earned in battle for rewards such as armor sets or mounts.
• The story continues for players as they aid the Fellowship and encounter new adventures, new dungeons and over a dozen new monsters.
• The game's UI is now customisable. In addition to being able to skin your UI with a unique look, Book 10 will enable players to access sliders in their 'Options' panel to scale the size of individual elements of the UI to their liking.

"We are working very hard to deliver the most content and best experiences to our subscribers and it is extremely satisfying to see such a large number of players embracing the game and joining us in Middle-earth," added Anderson. "We intend to continue our long established reputation of delivering frequent and substantial updates to our players with the release of Book 11 this autumn which will offer players the opportunity to live in their very own house in Middle-earth!"

Book 10: The City of the Kings will be available to subscribers of The Lord of the Rings Online on August 21st, 2007.

Features :

• Be a hero: Show the world your mettle and risk your life to protect all the Free-peoples. Combine class, race, traits and experience to create your own unique character. Forge your Fellowship and struggle together against evil with other adventurers in your campaign across Eriador. Work as a team leveraging your diverse talents, skill-sets and classes to gain strategic advantage.
• Evolving world: Unique instancing technology allows every player to make their mark within the world. Save a Hobbit village, clear a Dwarven mine, purify an Elven glade – the power is in your hands to change the fate of entire realms.
• Choose your lineage: Follow in the footsteps of your favorite Tolkien hero. Choose one of Middle-earth's signature races of Human, Elves, Dwarves and Hobbits. Mark your own place in history.
• Unlock the secrets of Middle-Earth: Working directly with Tolkien Enterprises, Turbine has crafted an experience directly from the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Explore the pastoral Shire, roam the eerie Barrow Downs, visit elegant Rivendell, walk beneath the dark canopy of the Old Forest, adventure to the depths of Moria and discover many other locations fully realized from The Fellowship of the Ring.
• Classic characters: The faithful recreation of Middle-earth is populated with familiar friends and corrupt foes. Join in the battle against Orcs, Trolls, Spiders, Barrow Wights and the Nazgûl. Meet Elrond, Tom Bombadil, Bilbo, the Dúnedain and even members of the Fellowship itself.
• Intense combat: Combat in Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar grows in intensity as you master your skills and gain strategic advantage. Combine your efforts into devastating compound attacks. The game rewards those who join forces through an exciting combo system that amplifies the effectiveness of groups and fellowships.