The developers of the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online discussed the future plans for the online game at the PAX East gaming convention – including the next major foe.
As the developers explain, you will have to face the giant spider Kankra. But wait, wasn’t Kankra defeated by Sam Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings? Correct, defeated but not killed. Apparently, the spider has retreated to the Misty Mountains, which lie north of Mirkwood. This will lead you to the next adventure. Mysterious things are happening here, and it seems the giant spider Kankra is behind it.
The developers have big plans for the spider:
- Kankra represents the next major foe
- Before you can defeat the spider, you must go through several adventures
- Kankra will be slowly introduced into the story
- Whether Mount Gundabad, where many Orcs reside, will also play a role is something the developers have yet to reveal
After Kankra, the journey may lead to the Shire, where you must free the land of the Hobbits from the dark minions of the wizard Saruman. The developers want to implement this correctly, which is why this content will take a bit longer to come.
Fan Suggestion: A Nudge at Mordor: Shadow of War
In the interview, the developers are confronted with a idea from Corey Olsen, the Tolkien professor, on how Kankra could be introduced in The Lord of the Rings Online.
The first appearance of Kankra would then be a little nod to the action-adventure Mordor: Shadow of War. A woman will emerge from Kankra’s cave and everyone should think that this woman is the spider in human form, just as it was in Shadow of War. But then the spider appears, grabs the woman, and wraps her up.
But how Kankra really comes to The Lord of the Rings Online remains to be seen.

Mordor Must Be Hard!
Another topic in the interview: Mordor and why it is so hard.
The introduction of the land of Mordor has thrown many players of The Lord of the Rings Online off guard, as the content is very difficult. The development team explains that Mordor has to be hard, after all, it is Mordor. No one just strolls into Mordor. However, there will be some adjustments, mainly related to class balancing. Mordor is not to become easy.
So there is much for the fans of The Lord of the Rings Online to look forward to in the future.
