Announced in Birmingham, the childhood home of J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria will expand the online world of Middle-earth to let players 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! The Lord of the Rings Online expects to open Volume II of its epic story in the fall of 2008 with an increased level cap, two new classes and the introduction of a unique item advancement system.

“Beginning November 18th players across North America and Europe will journey with the dwarves deep into Middle-earth to reclaim the ancient kingdom of Khazad-dûm from the minions of Saruman,” said Jeffrey Steefel, Executive Producer of The Lord of the Rings Online.

Players who pre-order Mines of Moria and purchase The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Complete Edition or Collector’s Edition qualify for the following special pre-order benefits:

Pre-order Pricing

• Only $9.99 per month when choosing a multi-month subscription plan!

OR

• Just $199 for a Lifetime Membership!

Pre-order In-game items

• The Cloak of Sunset, a unique cloak emblazoned with an image of the Hollin Gate.
• An exclusive in-game Moria character title - “Moria Expeditionary”.
• 1 in-game token, which allows players to choose 1 of 8 unique in-game items after launch
• Bonus Music CD -- Limited edition of the special extended Shadows of Angmar™ Soundtrack with a special bonus track from Mines of Moria.

This exciting Pre-order Program offer is available for a limited time from participating retailers until November 18, 2008 when The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria commercially launches in North America. For more information, please visit www.lotro.com/moria.

Early Upgrade Program:

Current and former players of The Lord of the Rings Online who purchase an early digital upgrade to Mines of Moria qualify for the following special early upgrade benefits:

Early Upgrade Pricing

• Only $9.99 per month when choosing a multi-month subscription plan!

OR

• Just $199 for a Lifetime Membership!

Early Upgrade In-game items

• The Cloak of Sunset, a unique cloak emblazoned with an image of the Hollin Gate which will be available to players upon upgrading
• An exclusive in-game Moria character title - “Moria Expeditionary” which will be available to players upon upgrading
• 3 in-game token, which allows players to choose 3 of 8 unique in-game items after Mines of Moria launches

This exciting Early Upgrade Program offer is available for a limited time until November 18, 2008 when The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria commercially launches in North America.

Features:

• Speak Friend, and Enter – Moria, called Khazad-dûm by the dwarves, was their capital and the grandest of cities. This enormous underground cavern in north-western Middle-earth, comprises an immense network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls that run beneath and ultimately through the Misty Mountains. For the first time, players of The Lord of the Rings Online will enter this ancient city which has served as the foundation for the modern-day dungeon-crawling adventures to battle the hordes of goblins and the Nameless of the Deep and journey through hundreds of new quests within six new kinds of stunning environments.
• The Epic Continues! — The Mines of Moria represents the beginning of Volume II of The Lord of the Rings Online. Players can experience six new books as part of this update and participate in the release of Durin’s Bane, battle the Watcher, aid Galadriel and more!
• Increased Level Cap — Players will be able advance their characters up to level 60, gaining access to new traits, virtues, skills and class quests. The crafting system will also expand, giving players the ability to craft 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, allow players to build exciting and powerful new characters in The Lord of the Rings Online in diverse new ways.
• Forge Legendary Items – The Mines of Moria will introduce Turbine’s new item advancement system to The Lord of the Rings Online. Players will be able to forge 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 will level-up along with the player, allowing customization by advancing the item’s virtues, adding runic legacies, modifying its titles and forming fables.

To celebrate this exciting news, Turbine and Codemasters also announced today that they will kick off a major promotion that invites everyone to unlock the Mines of Moria. Visitors can learn more about Mines of Moria and play special mini-games that will be periodically released over the coming months. Certain players who participate can complete special deeds through game play and other means to unlock exclusive previews, assets and special in-game items that may help them when they delve into Mines of Moria this fall. The Unlock the Mines of Moria promotion is scheduled to begin at the end of this month.