The private server “Echoes of Angmar” should bring back the old gaming experience from the MMORPG Lord of the Rings Online. But now they have to cancel the project because the publisher became aware of the copy.
Lord of the Rings Online fans wished the content back from 2007 when the game was brand new. So they started a project: The private server should faithfully recreate all content up to Book 1, Volume 11 and bring back the zones from back then. So are the quest lines and even the old trait system.
For some players, Lord of the Rings Online isn’t what it used to be. That’s why they want the earlier content back. The developers Standing Stone Games are currently going in a completely different direction and promise improved graphics in the near future.
14 years after the release, the MMORPG got an extension, you can see all the information in the video:
Lord of the Rings Online: The next expansion is here, 14 YEARS after release! See the launch trailer again here
For the private server with the old content, the first load tests should take place this month. More content would have been gradually added in September. The beta could have started in November. But now they have to stop everything.
If the server goes online, there are consequences
what happened to them “Echoes of Angmar” is no longer a secret in the community. Fans were looking forward to it, although private servers are a kind of illegal bootleg.
Eventually, the project gained such notoriety that the developers of Lord of the Rings Online got wind of it and approached Middle-earth Enterprise. They own the worldwide rights to JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
The Echoes of Angmar team received an official email from the publisher:
We have noted your release Echoes of Angmar and we appreciate and share your enthusiasm for the works of Tolkien and in particular for the makers and creators of the epic MMO The Lord of the Rings Online.
Judging by your website and Discord, you are people with boundless enthusiasm for LOTRO, JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. We recognize your enthusiasm and thank you for the fandom.
Unfortunately, as trademark owners and custodians of Tolkien’s works, we have to deliver potentially difficult messages more often than we’d like. Because your company is using Tolkien’s works and trademarks in an unauthorized manner without using a license, we must ask you to stop doing so.
As custodians of Tolkien’s works, we take our role of forever protecting the works on behalf of fans around the world very seriously. As owners of intellectual property rights, we are committed to protecting those rights both morally and legally.
Unfortunately, Echoes of Angmar uses certain content from the books and from our licensee for The Lord of the Rings Online without using a license. Frankly, sending letters like this breaks our hearts. Often fans create things that reflect an affinity with Tolkien’s creations.
Therefore, it is with a heavy heart that we must request the immediate cessation of any unauthorized use of Echoes of Angmar and all other Tolkien-related IP addresses on all platforms including Discord, Youtube and https://www.echoesofangmar.com.
Warm greetings,
Middle Earth Enterprise”
If the fans do not comply, they must expect legal and financial consequences. Within the next few days, a message about the shutdown of the server can be expected. We at MeinMMO will keep you up to date.
What do you think of the email the project team received from the publisher? Do you think it’s a pity that the server is now coming to an end? Or do you see it as correct since it is pirated and private servers are illegal? Write it to us in the comments here on MeinMMO!
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