LotRO's Update 18 Brings New Level Cap And Battle of Pelennor Fields

The Lord of the Rings Online's latest update is now live and takes on the big climactic battle from The Lord of the Rings, bringing the Battle of the Pelennor Fields to Turbine's free-to-play MMORPG, as well as several other features that make this one of the biggest free updates the game has ever seen.

The Battle of the Pelennor Fields doesn't present itself using the already-established "big battle" system; instead, Turbine used a combination on Epic and group instances, along with some interesting new tech and even a Rohirric battle-song, to bring the great conflict to life. You can read about how it all came together in a blog post on the LotRO site.

In addition to the battle, Update 18 raises the level cap from 100 to 105 and introduces the region of Far Anorien, which contains the Druadan Forest and western Beacon Hills. Books 5 and 6 of the Epic Story are also in the offing, as well as other new features, such as featured instances that offer additional rewards, task boards in housing instances, and new dyes for the seasonal festivals. You can read the entire update notes on the LotRO forums.