Det har hunnit gå nio år sedan #The Lord of the Rings Online släpptes, och ytterligare ett för #Dungeons & Dragons Online. #Turbine borde få en eloge för att hållt igång spelen så pass länge i en tid då onlinerollspel slaktas till höger och vänster.

Nu är det dock dags för båda titlarna att drivas vidare i ny regi. Gängen som varit ansvariga för de två spelen har brutit sig ur företaget för att istället starta en egen indiestudio vid namn Standing Stone. De har i sin tur tecknat avtal med Daybreak Games (tidigare Sony Online Entertainment"] för själva driften.

Today we have some momentous news! The game teams responsible for The Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) and Dungeons & Dragons Online (DDO) are now moving from Turbine to Standing Stone Games, a newly formed indie game studio. In addition, we’ve partnered with Daybreak Games to provide global publishing services. They’ve had a long, successful history developing and publishing MMOs, and we’re happy to lean on their expertise.

With the announcement out of the way, I wanted to talk to you about what all this means.

We're embarking on an exciting adventure as Standing Stone Games, a newly-independent studio staffed by people who have been working on DDO and LOTRO for many years. The teams remain very much committed to both games and are thrilled to continue development and operations of these games as an independent studio. This is an opportunity for us to bring about our dreams while still working on two of the biggest licenses in video games. It's a huge honor, and for you this means your games will continue to grow and improve. We love to focus on games with a high level of depth and scope, and we can't wait to show you what the future brings.

Although a great many exciting things are happening on our end, you'll be able to continue playing the game(s) you enjoy with as little interruption as possible. Our development continues on track, and the plans we have already announced remain firmly in our future view. Again, although we are a new studio, we are also the same developers who have been and will continue to work on our games.
Our success has always been possible because of your support. As we move forward, this is more important than ever. The ultimate goal of our new studio is to continue to bring you amazing experiences. We are excited for the future, and we’re thrilled to have you with us on this journey.

Here's to great games, epic adventures, and memorable times with friends!