Highly Rated Lord of the Rings Game Releases First Major Expansion & Huge Free Update

While we haven’t had a standout hit Lord of the Rings game in a while, the last few years haven’t been all bad. Though smaller than RPG hits like Shadow of Mordor, open-world survival game Return to Moria has performed well with its niche audience. Now, it’s getting a whole lot better with a massive free update and the game’s first major expansion since release. Announced back in October, the Durin’s Folk DLC and Title Update 6 have officially arrived for Return to Moria.

The Lord of the Rings survival game is available on PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Originally released in August 2024, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria has achieved a Very Positive rating on Steam. Gameplay is a combination of exploration, survival, base building, and crafting, making it a hit with cozy gamers who love a little survival mixed in. With its 6th Title Update, Return to Moria got a massive quality-of-life update that reworks the UI and squashes a ton of bugs. Alongside the latest update, the game has also launched its first major content DLC, Durin’s Folk, for the price of $14.99.

Free Return to Moria Update Delivers Bug Fixes and QoL Improvements Alongside First DLC

Whether or not you plan to buy Durin’s Folk, now is a great time to return to the Mines of Moria. The free update delivers a ton of enhancements to the survival game, including major reworks to the in-game map. For a full list of changes in the free Return to Moria Title Update, check out the official patch notes below:

All-new Revamp of the Map

Our single largest QoL update yet is a whole new way to visualize the inside of Moria. In this version, the map is now projected into an isometric view with layers that better show the verticality of the game world.

• World Map is now split into layers
• When two areas are connected vertically it is marked with a vertical dotted line
• Players can switch between available layers for the current section of the game
• On consoles, or when using a controller, there is now a virtual cursor, enabling easier selection of waypoints!
• Simplified UX for enabling waypoints to appear in the game world

Gameplay and Content Improvements

• Four new Beards and one new hair included for everyone in the Dwarf Creator
• Dwarves can now sit! Approach any existing player buildable seat and watch how your Dwarf… just… relaxes… and sits… and wait a minute, there is work to be done. Get up get up.. Moria isn’t gonna return itself!
• The environment art in two major landmarks have been completely revamped to be more destroyable and better able to be restored. 
• Dirt piles and other various environmental ornamentation can be destroyed with a pickaxe or cleaned up by building a hearth.
• Greater variety among Orcs in terms of appearance.
• Poison areas are now more visible and better represent the danger area.
• Poison mushrooms can now be easily destroyed – no need to avoid specific areas or have the perfect build space ruined by an unwanted mushroom!
• Building Menu re-organized to better reflect play patterns
• Dedicated servers have been updated to support the expansion

Other Bugs and Fixes

• Iolite now drops when mining Star Metal Ore
• Fixed a crash that was caused by players building multiple hearths too near one another
• Fixed an issue where defeating an enemy with a weapon imbued with Yarog-luthnul rune caused them to incorrectly drop Ironwood
• Updated descriptions of several player items that incorrectly stated non-existent gameplay effects. Sorry Blue Mountains Dwarves.
• Hearth lighting no longer discolors nearby water
• Fixed an issue where the player Dwarf would unnaturally slide when swinging a repair hammer
• Fixed an issue where the player Dwarf would be teleported out of bounds when traveling to a map stone in a late game area.
• Fixed an issue where the player Dwarf’s hair would clip into the clothing when wearing the DLC Beorn Set
• Fixed an issue where players were unable to fast travel to areas discovered by other party members
• Fixed an issue where statues would occasionally be built sunk into the ground
• Fixed an issue where occasionally a Great Forge would appear active before repairing them
• Fixed various typos in item descriptions

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Along with these free enhancements, players can look forward to a ton of extra content if they opt to buy the new Durin’s Folk DLC. This content pack adds new Survivors of Gimli’s Company, new songs, and a host of new building sets and features. The paid expansion costs $14.99 and is available now on Steam, the PlayStation store, or the Xbox shop.

Have you played Return to Moria yet? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!