Middle-earth: Shadow of War: Setting, Release Date, And More | Everything We Know (So Far!)

Fan of the Middle-earth lore and world have been delighted to know that a new installment to the Middle-earth video game franchise. The sequel to Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is called Middle-earth: Shadow of War and it will continue on with the narrative of ranger Talion and the elf lord Celebrimbor.

The game was shown off during E3 2017 and as such, we crafted up a quick detailed guide of everything we know about the game so far.

Story

Just as I mentioned above, the story of Middle-earth: Shadow of War continues on with the narrative of ranger Talion and the spirit of the elf lord Celebrimbor. After Talion had successfully forged a new Ring of Power, Celebrimbor is determined that the ring can be used without turning into a Dark Lord. The ring may prove to be a viable asset as the duo sets off to take on the returned Sauron.

Gameplay

Most of the core mechanics of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is returning to the upcoming sequel, Shadow of War. However, it does seem that the developers did make a few new tweaks and adjustments.

Overall, the Nemesis System is making a big return though you’ll find that there will be additional skills which can be unlocked and further tweaked.

Additionally, the overall world will be larger than before which means more locations to explore and conquer.

Battles

A large portion of Shadow of Mordor was the action-packed melee combat as Talion and Celebrimbor quickly took down the various cluster of enemies. You’ll find that there will be even bigger battles taking place with fortresses to capture.

So far, we know that these fortresses that are scattered about in the video game will be a challenging task to overtake. Each will come with a plethora of enemies, warchiefs and at the top of it all, an overlord.

Speaking of enemies, gamers will also see a new set of orcs and creatures that were previously not featured in Shadow of Mordor, though more details about these enemies will likely be detailed at a later date.

DLC

So far there seem to be two DLC expansions in the works for the upcoming video game release and they are The Blade of Galadriel along with The Desolation of Mordor.

For now, we only have a few details of the first DLC, The Blade of Galadriel. Within that DLC, the focus is on a female elf assassin named Altariel who was sent out by the elf queen Galadriel to study Talion.

Editions

As to be expected with any big title release, there are a number of different editions available for purchase. Check out what comes with each edition down below.

Standard

The standard edition will grant players only a copy of the video game for PC, PlayStation 4, or Xbox One.

Silver

The silver edition of the game is only available as a digital download. With that said, players will receive a copy of the game, you’ll receive the pre-order in-game bonuses, along with the Slaughter Tribe Nemesis expansion, Outlaw Tribe Nemesis expansion, and a Silver War Chest.

Gold

The gold edition will include everything we noted so far along with the two story expansions releasing after the launch of Shadow of War. Additionally, players will receive a Gold War Chest.

Mithril

Lastly, there is the Mithril Edition of the video game which includes everything we noted so far along with a 12” Tar-Goroth Balrog vs. Carnan Drake Statue, a series of Lithographs, steel case, Ring of Power replica, soundtrack, a cloth map of Mordor, Tribes Sticker pack, and lastly, a Mithril War Chest.