Corgis Come To Middle-earth In LOTRO 15th Anniversary Celebration

The Lord of the Rings Online is one of the longest continuously running video games of all time, and to celebrate its 15th anniversary this week, developer Standing Stone Games is hosting a huge party. This includes the addition of a new pet, a Corgi, for some reason.

The anniversary event begins today, April 20, and runs through May 11. Perhaps the most notable addition in the event is the new region, Yondershire, which is located in the north.

"The northern region known as the Yondershire is home to a different breed of hobbit, a sparsely populated region of moor, thicket, and fen that has long been a sanctuary for recluses and troublemakers," Standing Stone said in a news release. "Since the time of Bullroarer Took it has squabbled with the more comfortable parts of the Shire. Now that the upstart Lotho Sackville-Baggins has taken control, however, it has become a hotbed of resistance against his gang of ruffians."

This is the first update to the Shire in years, Standing Stone said, and it has content for players in the level 20-23 range. The content is available free for VIP members, or it can be purchased by itself from the in-game store.

LOTRO players can kick off the anniversary festivities by visiting the Party Tree in the Hill in The Shire. From there, players can collect quests and redeem anniversary tokens for special celebratory rewards.

In keeping with the spirit of merriment, the LOTRO anniversary event also includes a Festivity instance in which players can help "bring about the greatest fireworks display Bree-land has ever seen."

What's more, and perhaps most importantly, a new pet makes its debut in this 15th anniversary update: the Corgi. Does this mean Corgis are canon now? Who knows. And frankly, who cares? What's more, players can earn new cosmetic rewards in the event, including a steed, a Golden Crystal Beetle pet, new fireworks consumables, and a fire pit and fireplace for their home.

For the Corgis specifically, everyone who logs in during the event will get a free pupper. Players can barter their Corgis for other items like festivity tokens, anniversary tokens, and Mithril coins.

Outside of all of this, all LOTRO players can now grab a 15-year Giftbox simply by logging in between now and April 1, 2023. Additionally, lots of the game's older expansion content is now free for all players. For more, check out the official LOTRO anniversary event guide.

LOTRO was originally developed by Turbine and released in 2007 under a subscription-based model, but made the shift to free-to-play in 2010. Development shifted to Standing Stone Games (comprised of many ex-Turbine developers) in 2016, when the studio also partnered with Daybreak Games (formerly Sony Online Entertainment) as a publishing partner. In 2020, EG7 acquired Lord of the Rings Online and Daybreak for $300 million (as well as other MMOs like Dungeons & Dragons Online and EverQuest).

Since then, the game has continued to receive new content, with its most recent expansion, the Fate of Gundabad, as well as its new Brawler class, releasing late last year. There are currently plans for the game to receive visual and technical updates, as well as a current-gen console version, in order to capitalize on Amazon's upcoming Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power show.