The Lord of the Rings Online: Riders of Rohan

Riders of Rohan is the fourth major expansion to The Lord of the Rings Online, Turbine's Middle-earth MMORPG, released in 2012. It carries players into the kingdom of Rohan, the land of the horse-lords, expanding the game's recreation of J.R.R. Tolkien's world into the wide grasslands of the Riddermark as the epic story advances alongside the events of The Lord of the Rings. Its headline addition was mounted combat: for the first time, players could fight from horseback aboard war-steeds, battling enemies, including roaming 'Warband' bosses, across Rohan's open plains, a significant new gameplay system tailored to the region's equestrian culture. The expansion also raised the level cap, introduced new zones, quests, landscapes and a fresh chapter of the narrative arc building toward the war for Middle-earth. As an expansion, it built on LOTRO's reputation for atmospheric, lore-faithful storytelling and content, deepening the journey for the game's long-standing community. POCG covered its 'Warbands' content among its MMO news. Riders of Rohan represents Turbine's continued, years-long support of the title, layering major new systems and beloved Tolkien settings onto a game that endured well beyond its 2007 debut as a destination for fans of Middle-earth. It was followed by further expansions tracing the journey toward Mordor, sustaining the game well into the following decade.