Fans are creating a new campaign for The Lord of the Rings
Twenty years after the release of the original game, a major fan-made expansion is in development for The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-earth II, covering the entire Peter Jackson film trilogy. The release of the campaign, titled "A Long Expected Campaign," is scheduled for October 31, 2026, and will be available for free.
Crius
Twenty years after the release of the original version, a major fan-made expansion is in development for The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-earth II. The project, titled A Long Expected Campaign, is being created as an add-on for the Age of the Ring mod and will cover the events of Peter Jackson’s entire Lord of the Rings film trilogy. The campaign’s storyline begins with Gandalf’s arrival in the Shire and continues all the way to the final battle at the Black Gate.
The published trailer showcases the first missions, including preparations for Bilbo’s 111th birthday and Frodo’s meeting with Gandalf. The mod features voice clips from the movies. While the full list of missions has not yet been revealed, the project aims to encompass the entire trilogy’s story and may include locations such as Weathertop, Moria, Helm’s Deep, and Minas Tirith.
Age of the Ring is a standalone, large-scale expansion that does not require the original The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II or The Rise of the Witch-king games to install. The mod introduces 11 new factions, expanded gameplay mechanics, and hundreds of battle maps. Many fans consider it the unofficial continuation of the series.
The release of A Long Expected Campaign is scheduled as a free standalone download on ModDB for October 31, 2026. At the same time, work is underway on two films—The Hunt for Gollum and Shadow of the Past—the first of which will premiere in theaters on December 17.