ByJustin Olivetti

Fresh off an appearance to fans at PAX East, Standing Stone Games is a little bleary but game for what’s coming next to Lord of the Rings Online. In last Friday’s livestream, the studio said that a minor patch is scheduled for next Wednesday and will be followed by this year’s April Fools’ day event (now with chickens!) from March 31st through April 2nd.

And while players await new lands and adventures to enjoy in LOTRO, the game’s senior world designer explained how the team is devoted to upholding Tolkien’s writings — a constraint that is occasionally enforced by the IP owners.

“LOTRO can only directly reference names and events that occur in The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings and their associated appendices,” Scenario said on the forums. “We always conduct research across the entire legendarium beyond our license to remain as true the lore as we can without contradiction. We can and do depict names and events outside of the license in a way that is license friendly, and we work closely with our licensor to ensure that we are not overstepping our license. The names of the Dwarf kingdoms, Antheron, and certain characters present in the Mordor Besieged story line are but a few examples of the care we take to remain consistent with and respectful of ALL of Tolkein’s works while doing so in a way that our license allows.”