Middle-earth: Shadow of War waves goodbye to microtransactions today

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Middle-earth: Shadow of War is removing all traces of microtransactions in today's latest title update.

Shadow of War update 1.18 gives the boot to the controversial market feature, instead replacing it with a Garrison menu that stores any Orcs you've hoovered up from Online Vendettas and Ranked Conquests. 

In addition, players can now utilise in-game Mirian to train, upgrade, and customise your gaggle of grog-loving grunts. Shadow of War's endgame antics have also been streamlined, with Shadow Wars renamed to Epilogue and now feature narration by Shelob, the Witch-king, and Dark Talion. 

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Those of you who emerge victorious in Epilogue challenges will earn the Masks of the Nazgul, allowing you to raise the dead, curse enemies, and summon various nasties to your cause. Meanwhile, new skins including Celebrimbor and Baranor are up for grabs to boot. 

Elsewhere, the new Shadow of War update increases the game's follower level cap to 80, while the enemy Captain level cap has been bumped to 85. Players will also encounter a greater number of Legendary Orcs and more opportunities to receive Training Orders.


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Shadow of War's latest update is now live on Steam, so grab the full patch notes while you're here. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions will roll out at some point today.

We thought Middle-earth: Shadow of War was a brilliant fantasy-flavoured romp, boasting some solid upgrades to the Nemesis system and combat.

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Middle-earth: Shadow of War

  • Platform(s): Android, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
  • Genre(s): Action, RPG
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