The modding communities of various games have often proven what they can achieve. One group has developed a mod for a popular Total War on Steam that allows you to play in Middle-earth and will soon let you experience a campaign.
What kind of mod is this? We are talking about the mod “The Dawnless Days”. Formerly known as “Rise of Mordor,” it is an extensive modification for the strategy game Total War: Attila.
With this mod, the team, which consists entirely of fans managing the project in their free time, aimed to make the world of The Lord of the Rings playable and transfer it to the Total War engine. The mod has existed since 2015, shortly after the release of Total War: Attila, and has been continuously expanded over the years.
Currently, it can only be played in custom battle mode. But that is set to change soon. Starting from December 12, 2025, the beta for the own campaign is supposed to start. However, it will initially take place on a smaller map and will be expanded and added to in the long term. The story will take place during the great wars in the last years of the saga and will be oriented towards the books.
You can get a first impression of the campaign in the trailer:
A mod to rule them all …
What does the mod do exactly? If you install the mod, which you can find on nexusmods.com and own Total War: Attila, you can use it to transport the game to Middle-earth in custom battles. It significantly alters the game’s content, so the entire map, all buildings and units, and even the soundtrack will appear in the guise of The Lord of the Rings.
You can find an overview of all playable factions, units, and their armors in the official Trello of the modders. In their development, they place a strong focus on attention to detail and adhere strictly to the established lore of J.R.R. Tolkien’s universe.
On the map, you will also find well-known places like Edoras, Erebor, or Minas Tirith. The armors and units are based on Tolkien’s descriptions and the portrayal of the beloved film series.
Both the map and the units have been completely “newly created” and not just overlaid as textures on already existing models. So, you can play on a completely geographically accurate map of Middle-earth and fight Orcs.
Meanwhile, another fan project of The Lord of the Rings has used one of the best German survival games to indulge in their project and express their passion for Middle-earth. They did this without using cheats or mods and created an impressive work that is unparalleled: Fans build the great city of the Dwarves from The Lord of the Rings in a German survival game, needing neither mods nor cheats
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