Lord Of The Rings: Wolves Of Mordor Officially Explores Sauron's Dark Past

2 hours ago 17

Published Nov 15, 2026, 1:00 AM EST

James is a gaming writer from London who has spent thousands of hours exploring titles from every genre. Though he has a particular affinity for multiplayer titles like World of Warcraft, Destiny 2 and League of Legends, he has also put thousands of hours into single-player experiences, from deep RPGs to epic PC strategies. When he's not playing or writing, he can usually be found supporting his beloved Brentford FC.

Sauron serves as the main antagonist during the events of The Lord of the Rings, a dark lord who desires nothing more than dominion over Middle-earth and all those who reside within it. As with all things Tolkien, though, his story is considerably deeper than the relatively limited contact we have with him during the events of the books.

Much of that past is detailed in The Silmarillion, Tolkien's encyclopedic tome that chronicles everything that happened in the First Age, with The Lord of the Rings proper set thousands of years later, in the Third Age. In that, Sauron serves as the most loyal server of the true big bad of that universe, Morgoth.

During that era, he went by many names, one of which was the Lord of Werewolves, a title he earned by stewarding enormous fallen spirits (Maiar) who took the form of wolves. Now, a new release is set to draw major inspiration from that crucial period in Sauron's life to bring a whole new experience to life for players for the first time.

As reported in an exclusive interview with MMORPG, next expansion for The Lord of the Rings Online is nearly here. Titled The Wolves of Mordor, the expansion takes players back into the Dark Land, with a focus on the Eastern regions, and a host of wolves who could have been unleashed in Middle-earth if things had played out differently.

In explaining a little about the creatures and why they have been added to the game, Lead Systems Designer Allan “Orion” Maki shared the following insight:

"We are introducing werewolves that are not the typical werewolves you get in other places. They are what we are calling the Draugardh, which are werewolves in the sense of they speak. They are both bipedal and quadrupedal; There are several of them. There are hierarchies that are built into them, and they have their own society."

In The Lord of the Rings Online's interpretation, these Draugardh were created with the intention of releasing them to wreak havoc, once Sauron had defeated the forces of Men. That obviously didn't have the chance to materialize, and players will now explore the North-Eastern region of Mordor where they reside.

At the same time, the latest expansion adds an addition to the existing housing system that essentially sees you get a neighbor of your very own, one who moves in after hearing of your exploits. From there, you'll be able to go on quests for them, and keep a journal which they will refer back to when you've completed your tasks, as Maki details further:

"They will read the journal that you’ve created and provide you feedback on how they feel about that story. So if it matches what they are, they’ll tell you, ‘Oh, that was a really cool story. I like the part where you did X, or I like the part where you did Y.’ And you’ll earn some friendship rating with them. And then you’ll earn some currency, and that currency can be used to then exchange for gifts. Those gifts can also be given to your neighbors, which will increase your friendship with them. And then at different points in your relationship that you’re building with these neighbors, you’ll be able to go on a special story."

The Best Ways to Earn More Turbine Points in Lord of the Rings Online

The Wolves of Mordor expansion for The Lord of the Rings Online is out now and ready to explore in its entirety. If you're retiscent on taking the leap on the game, it really is better than ever, and it's still one of the best ways to explore the world we all know and love so well.