After many, many years it seems that The Lord of the Rings Online will finally allow players to enter one of the most interesting regions in the entirety of Middle-earth - Mordor. Once the Mordor expansion finally arrives it will bring with it the High Elves as a new race, the ability to fully explore Gorgoroth and face off against some truly terrifying beasties, and naturally, a storyline that will delve deep into Mordor's history.

Besides all of the new content there will also be an allegiance system where you can pledge your loyalty to one of the numerous factions in order to receive unique bonuses, gear, and even storyline. The process of crafting and gearing your characters will also be further improved in order to focus on customization, though no specifics have been released just yet. And just in case you were wondering, you will be able to explore Mount Doom and its surrounding area!

The standard edition of the Mordor expansion will set you back $40, though if you want all of the 'exclusive' cosmetics you'll have to spend upwards of $130 to get them all through "The Ultimate Fan Bundle". More importantly for returning players, however, each purchase of the Mordor expansion will bring with it one Aria of the Valar - the ability to instantly boost and equip your character so that they are ready to face off against everything Mordor has to offer.

While the release date might be subject to delays, you can expect to see The Lord of the Rings Online: Mordor on the week of July 31st, though no specific date has been given just yet. To learn more I would recommend heading over to either the FAQ or the official website. And finally, here's a developer video giving a bit of a sneak peek at some of the upcoming Mordor content. Enjoy!