Saruman and Isengard Come to LOTRO in Fall 2011

Turbine, as the developer, and Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment, as the publisher, have announced that the MMO The Lord of the Rings Online will get a new expansion, called Rise of Isengard, which is set to be delivered in the fall of 2011 and will significantly expand the scope of the game and add depth to the experience of the players that follow the quest of the Fellowship.

The new expansion will take the Grey Company south into the land of Dunland and will meet the rising force of the wizard Saruman, once one of the champions of the light but now fallen under the spell of the dark forces.

The player characters will need to seek out allies which can help them stand up to the wizard while also battling new enemies, including Saruman himself and his abominable creations and weapons he has forged in his fortress and his tower.

Rise of Isengard will include a raised level cap, topping out at level 70, with new traits, new skills and new virtues included and a whole new set of class quests added.

The Monster Play system will also be revamped for the new expansion and the developers are saying that a brand new region will be created for the game mode.

Kate Paiz, who is the executive producer working on The Lord of the Rings Online, stated when the announcement was made that, “2010 has been a year of unprecedented growth for The Lord of the Rings Online with our successful introduction of a free-to-play option for our players.”

He added, “This is going to be another outstanding year for the game as we progress on our journey toward Mordor and it all begins with our upcoming November update. The journey will carry through 2011 ending with our arrival in the epic region of Isengard where players will confront the raging war and shadow that has spread across Middle-earth.”