LotR Online European Release Date, Public Bet...

LotR Online European Release Date, Public Beta Begins

The Brits from Codemasters sent word that the European release date for The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar has been set to coincide with Turbine's MMORPG release in North America - on April 24 - and that the public beta testing phase has now begun in Europe. This news comes just as Codemasters are recouping after a new stress test, in which thousands of fans took part, putting the game and the hardware to the test (which they're greatly thanked for).

At the same time, Codies have also announced a pre-order promotion that will grant players a ten-day head start in the game, before the full launch on April 24. So, by pre-ordering LotR Online from "specific participating retailers", you'll be able to start grinding as soon as April 14. And not only that, but you'll also receive an in-game item, six Lord of the Rings Online stickers, a window sticker, the option to become a Founder Member of the game, and a DVD containing the pre-order game client. You can also pre-order it online, but that will only grant you the ten-day head start, the in-game item and the Founder Member offer. To get more detail on this (limited) promotion, check the Pre-order Program page from the official website.

The big news, however, is that the Lord of the Rings Online: Shadow of Angmar European public Beta Program has now officially begun, giving players
the opportunity to discover Middle-earth before the game is officially released. If you haven't yet signed up for the Beta Program, you can do so by visiting Codies' sign-up page.

And finally, some of you might like to know that the NDA has been lifted. So if you've already been adventuring through Turbine's Middle-earth, you're now urged to "go forth and spread the good word with [Codies'] blessings". And may Sauron watch over you, or something.

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)