Welcome to our long heralded Lord of The Rings Online beta giveaway and a chance to take part in this year's hottest new MMORPG! Are you ready to move to Middle-earth? You should be because today we're issuing your beta keys!
The first part began yesterday when we gave you the download for the brand new LOTRO Client code which you'll need to install the game.
UPDATE: Your keys are ready! Simply click here to apply for your Lord of the Rings Online beta key. Good luck!
Be sure to read the terms and conditions below to make sure you are eligible to take part, but first here's the exciting details.
When can you play? This client with a valid beta key will allow you to participate in the LOTRO Stress Test which starts at 11.00 GMT on the 10th of February and runs until 23.00 GMT on the 10th of February. All players entering the game during these times will get to keep their BETA account for the duration of BETA.
Account creation opens at 10AM GMT on the 10th of February. Create your account by visiting Codemasters Online Gaming
But for the moment, read the terms and conditions, get downloading and keep refreshing this page Beta Keys will be with you shortly!
In order to take part in the Beta Program you will need to:
- Be over 18 years of age - Be able to download a 3.0GB+ client - Have a broadband connection - Agree to the terms and conditions of the Preview and Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) -
By entering the Beta Program you are agreeing to the terms of the NDA which can be viewed at LOTRO-Europe Official Site
If you do meet all of these requirements and once you have then please read the following instructions to get started.
Instructions 1 - First you will need to set up a free Codemasters Online Gaming (COG) account. To do this, go to Codemasters Online Gaming and follow the on-screen instructions to create a new account.
Once you have completed this section, an activation e-mail will be sent to the e-mail address you provided. Check your e-mail and follow the link to activate your account.
2 - Next, you will need to set up a subscription in your COG account Once your COG account is active, log onto it to create a new subscription.
Click on the 'Click here to create a new subscription link'. From the drop down product list, select LOTRO Beta. Enter your beta registration key in the next field.
Finally, type the word you see in the box. After submitting this information you should see a message saying 'Your subscription to the LOTRO Beta has been created successfully.'
3 - Download and install the game client. If you haven't already done so, now's the time to download and install the LOTRO game client.
The client is approximately 3.5GB in size so it might take some time to complete! Once download has completed, double-click the executable to begin installation. Follow the on-screen instructions throughout the installation process.
4 - To play LOTRO, you will need to open the following ports via your computers firewall / router:
TCP: 80, 8081, 5015, 9000, 2900, 2916
UDP: 2900-2909, 5015, 9001-9012
5 - Play away! Once installed, run the LOTRO game client. A window will appear asking you to enter your login and password. Here you should input the COG username and password you chose in step 1. The game may patch itself at this point. Once complete, simply log into the game and you are ready to play!
Beta Support
To participate in discussions about the beta with your fellow testers along with regular beta news updates, a special LOTRO beta forum has been set up at LOTRO beta forum
Your beta forum password will be issued to you with a successful beta key application.
This beta forum is private and is only for those currently testing the game, please do not share your password with anyone. Remember by entering the BETA you agree to the terms of the NDA Here
Getting Started Whilst you wait for your download to complete, please take the time to familiarise yourself with the following:
What can I expect? - The first thing to remember is that this is beta. You are one of the lucky few, select people that have been given the privilege of playing LOTRO before anybody else. This also means that the game is still unfinished and is not at the final retail quality you may expect. You could encounter bugs, issues and different problems whilst playing!
Have fun and give us a shout in the comments field below. Thanks for your patience and ongoing participation in the BETA program! We'll see you in Middle-Earth!
