Turbine Reveals Upcoming LOTRO Raid, "Throne Of The Dread Terror"

After a three-year break, The Lord of the Rings Online is diving back into the oft-neglecting raiding pool with Throne of the Dread Terror in Update 18.2, which Content Designer Ryan "Pinion" Penk described in detail in today's dev diary.

The raid revolves around Gothmog, the mostly unknown commander of Sauron's forces during the Battle of Pelennor Fields, who has, in various works, been described as a Nazgul or -- in the Peter Jackson trilogy -- a grizzled old Orc. In LotRO, he's been linked with a character from the game's storied past, one with whom players have a very personal connection.

While the raid will have two Tiers, as most other raids have, locks will work a little differently. Tier 1 will have no locks and no progress-saving, meaning you can run it multiple times per week, while the more difficult Tier 2 will have locks and be limited to one run per week, as usual. In total, the raid has six boss encounters, with each one having its "own style, both in appearance and mechanics."

Look for Update 18.2 and Throne of the Dread Terror to be hitting LotRO servers Soon(tm)!