Get $300 of DLC for free as the biggest Lord of the Rings game thanks players

If you've read PCGamesN over the past month, you'll already know that I love me a Lord of the Rings game. From Battle for Middle-earth 2 to Tales of the Shire, I'll try anything with a hobbit or dwarf in the mix. There are even parts of Gollum I enjoyed! Not many of them, but the Gandalf and Thranduil designs were excellent. However, the most expansive Lord of the Rings game I've ever played, and the closest to Tolkien's books, is The Lord of the Rings Online. If you were looking for the impetus to jump in, developer Standing Stone Games has just released a bunch of paid content for free.

Like many of the best MMOs around, The Lord of the Rings Online runs a subscription-based service. LOTRO's sub grants you premium currency with which you can buy Quest Packs, new missions based on the events of The Lord of the Rings or the locations featured in Tolkien's world. Each is essentially a sliver of DLC, a new adventure to embark on.

These Quest Packs range from 295-1,995 LOTRO Points each if you don't have a VIP subscription. You can acquire a small amount of these in-game, but for the most part they need to be bought with real cash. However, you can grab 18 Quest Packs, one Region Pack, and two extra adventures for free until November.

The Quest Packs included in this offer that can be bought in-game cost over 20,000 LOTRO Points—which would only be covered by the $199.99 coin bundle. Add on around $120 to purchase the four most recent Quest Packs, and you're looking at least 300 bucks' worth of adventures for free here.

This is the developer's way of saying thanks to its loyal players, unlocking a bunch of content for those who haven't been able to afford it thus far. Of course, it's still hoping you'll shell out over $100 on the 'ultimate fan bundle' of Legacy of Morgoth, but there's more than enough here to keep you going until the next batch of freebies or major sale.

While it may look a bit archaic at first glance, LOTRO is the most Tolkien experience I've ever had in a videogame. The combat is nowhere near as smooth as Shadow of Mordor, but it follows the late author's lore to a T, something that the Shadow games abandon in favor of awful shock reveals. You'll recognize characters who have never been brought to life on screen in other adaptations, as well as subtle nods to the texts throughout.

It's also the biggest Lord of the Rings game I've ever played. Try walking from one side of the Shire to the other, and you'll start to get a sense of that. Considering that the game takes you from Angmar to the Havens of Belfalas, the scale of this 18-year-old game is vast. Don't let that daunt you, though, as you'll tackle each new region as you level up.

And then there's the community of players. What use is it recreating the Prancing Pony or Green Dragon if there aren't real people to fill it? From starting out in Hobbiton to traversing the barren Mordor landscape, other players are committed to authentic roleplaying and bring the world to life. While the fight to be known as the best Lord of the Rings game is hotly contested, LOTRO is definitely the closest to Tolkien's original work.

If that means something to you, then there's never been a better time to jump in. Use the code EXPLOREOURWORLD in The Lord of the Rings Online before November 3 to get $300 of expansions for free. You can download the game here.

While you're waiting for your download to finish, check out some of the best fantasy games. Alternatively, our list of the best PC games has more bangers than a second breakfast.

Will you be taking advantage of LOTRO's free offer? Let us know in our community Discord server, where readers and staff discuss all things gaming.