LotRO's Next Update Will Take Players To The Lonely Mountain, Raise Level Cap To 120

Standing Stone Games has a lot planned for The Lord of the Rings Online in 2018, according to the most recent producer's letter from Rob "Severlin" Ciccolini. Update 23 will take players to the Lonely Mountain and beyond, visiting the dwarf-holds in the Iron Hills and Grey Mountains. The update will come with 80 new quests, a new level cap of 120, and an instance cluster, fit for solo players and groups, with a raid coming later in the year.

There will also be "some threads to tie off" in the areas of North Rhovanion, including Gundabad, the Vales of Anduin, and Lothlórien before the end of the year, with the promised trip to Minas Morgul being shifted to 2019. A new feature, "Seasonal Instances," will debut this summer, and run throughout the Summer Festival.

Over the long term, all 10 classes are due for an oft-requested "holistic look," which Ciccolini said will be "targeted adjustments to many classes at once," rather than comprehensive overhauls. He also said there are "several significant initiatives" that are in the planning stages that he can't reveal at this time. As Gandalf would say, "keep them secret, keep them safe."