The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria™ News

[p]From our blog: Yule-tide Pack to Receive Content Update![/p][p]Turugnî hisgin!
Greetings![/p][p]The festive season is upon us, and Dwarves across Middle-earth are pulling out decorations and getting Moria prepared for another Yule-tide![/p][p]This year the Yule-tide pack is receiving an update, with extra decorations and cosmetics themed around the story of Kabrûn the Bell-dragger (see below), everyone who already owns the Yule-tide pack will automatically unlock all of these new recipes![/p][p]Don’t own the Yule-tide pack yet? Worry not! Whether you pick it up before the update, or after, you’ll gain access to the original and new Yule-tide content along with everyone else![/p][p][/p][p]Some Dwarves wait in anticipation, to see if they’ll be visited by Kabrûn the Bell-dragger this year…[/p][p]In Dwarven tradition, Kabrûn is a cautionary figure from the depths — a corrupted Dwarf who broke the most sacred oaths: he was lazy at the forge, abandoned his brothers in the deep mines, and crafted shoddy work that brought shame to his hall. As punishment, he was cast into the deepest, darkest shafts of the mountain, where he became something twisted and grim.[/p][p]But the curse that binds him also compels him: he must forever walk the halls during Khufur-nagim-ul, a solemn ritual performed by Dwarves every winter solstice. During this ritual, they allow the Forge to go cold, the Furnace is reduced to embers and workshops fall silent. It is through this quiet darkness that the Dwarves are reminded of the sacred purpose given to them by Aulë: to bring light to the dark places of the world through honest work and quality craft.[/p][p][/p][p]During this ritual, it is said that Kabrûn comes, bearing witness to the work of young Dwarves. In his torment, he has learned the value of what he scorned, and now he both punishes the lazy (as he once was) and rewards the hardworking (as he should have been).So, young Dwarf, did you work hard at the Forge this year? I hope so…[/p][p][/p][p]Walking among the cold forges judging the year's work, the sound of bells and dragging chains announces his approach through the darkened halls. He is covered in stone dust and wrapped in chains and bells, his beard matted with cave mud, eyes glowing like dying embers and cursed horns grown from his head.[/p][p]Young Dwarves who worked diligently find gifts by their bedside: well-forged tools, quality materials, polished stones, or honest metal. The lazy find only coal dust on their pillow, broken chain links, scratches on their doors, or dulled tools. At first light, the oldest smith strikes the first spark and the forges rekindle across the mountain, with young Dwarves who received gifts helping to restore the light.[/p][p]Such is the tale of Kabrûn the Bell-dragger and Khufur-nagim-ul.[/p][p]New items coming to the Yule-tide pack include…[/p]

• [p]Kabrûn Cosmetic Skin[/p]
• [p]Kabrûn Mask Cosmetic Skin[/p]
• [p]Kabrûn Boots Cosmetic Skin[/p]
• [p]Kabrûn Gloves Cosmetic Skin[/p]
• [p]Kabrûn Backpack[/p]
• [p]Plantable Holly Tree Cuttings[/p]
• [p]Lit Holly Tree Recipes[/p]
• [p]Lit Holly Decorative Recipes[/p]
• [p]Decorative Snow Recipes[/p]
• [p]Snow-covered Present Pile Recipes[/p]
• [p]Present Box Storage Container Recipe[/p]

[p]Along with the original Yule-tide pack contents…[/p]

• [p]Mulled Cider Brew Recipe[/p]
• [p]Yule-tide Feast Meal Recipe[/p]
• [p]Yule Fruit Crust-cake Ration Recipe[/p]
• [p]Present Pile Building Recipe[/p]
• [p]Yule-tide Hearth Building Recipe[/p]
• [p]Celebration Meal Table Building Recipe[/p]
• [p]String of Lights Building Recipe[/p]
• [p]Chain of Lights Building Recipe[/p]
• [p]Simple Candelabra Building Recipe[/p]
• [p]Candelabra Building Recipe[/p]
• [p]Elaborate Candelabra Building Recipe[/p]

[p]Note: Skins unlock for All Dwarves. They are cosmetic only.
*Other recipes become available when the player acquires appropriate resources.*‍[/p][p]The Yule-tide pack is available now on Steam, Epic, PS5 and Xbox, with the free update coming alongside patch 1.6.5 on 2025/12/15[/p][p]We loved seeing how everyone decorates their bases in Moria each year for Yule-tide, as well as what you use throughout the year and can’t wait to see what festive scenes you create with the new items. Don’t forget to tag us on socials and share what you create in the RtM Discord![/p][p]Keep an eye on the dev-updates section of our Discord, as well as our socials for more info and release notes for 1.6.5, coming soon![/p][p][/p][p]‍[/p]

[p]Turugnî hisgin![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]To all the Lords and Ladies of Moria - building Return to Moria has truly been a labor of love for our entire team, and we would be grateful for your vote in this category! [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]For over 4 years, many many hardworking developers have been bringing the world of Moria in the 4th age to life. Thanks to your help, since we launched we've been able to make literally thousands of improvements to quality of life, bettering our features, providing more balanced tuning, and of course, fixing many pesky bugs. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Indeed it has been a long road! But we continue to push new releases and bring improvements to help you survive the long dark together (plus a few surprises we hope you enjoyed!) From the first moments in the collapsed tunnel of Westgate, millions of Dwarves have bravely faced foes, mined, built, survived, and uncovered the source of the Shadow. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]For our teams, Return to Moria has always been a partnership with the fans and players, taking your feedback and turning that into improvements that benefit everyone, so we appreciate you for sticking with us and taking this adventure together![/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p]Dâmat uz-âthar uz-sên marbû hakhrûn. Na zil-adbal tahba?[/p]

• [p]‘And now I think I am quite ready to go on another journey. Are you coming?’[/p]

[p]The Dimrill Gate opens and a new chapter of Return to Moria begins! Don't be fooled by the brevity of these patch notes, this is our largest update yet! If we listed everything it would spoil the fun. This update brings gameplay improvements and bugfixes to the core game as well as enables the new Durin’s Folk Expansion. These notes will be split between changes for the core game update and a summary of changes included in the Expansion.[/p][p]Ensure you have the correct build number on the main menu. You must complete the update before playing.[/p][p]Epic: 1.6.2.217277 \[net.14.4.8.1d225a] to 1.6.4.217558 \[net.16.9.8.a9fb8f]
Steam: 1.6.2.217289 \[net.14.4.8.1d225a] to 1.6.4 217572 \[net.16.9.8.a9fb8f]
PS5: 1.6.2.217283 \[net.14.4.8.1d225a] to 1.6.4.217559 \[net.16.9.8.a9fb8f]
Xbox X|S: 1.6.2.217280 \[net.16.9.8.a9fb8f] to 1.6.4.217573 \[net.16.9.8.a9fb8f][/p][p]Dedicated Servers: 1.6.2.217315 \[net.14.4.8.1d225a] to 1.6.4.1.6.2.217315 \[net.16.9.8.a9fb8f][/p][p]
[/p][h2]All-new Revamp of the Map[/h2][p]Our single largest QoL update yet is a whole new way to visualize the inside of Moria. In this version the map is now projected into an isometric view with layers that better show the verticality of the game world.[/p]

• [p]World Map is now split into layers[/p]
• [p]When two areas are connected vertically it is marked with a vertical dotted line[/p]
• [p]Players can switch between available layers for the current section of the game[/p]
• [p]On consoles, or when using a controller, there is now a virtual cursor, enabling easier selection of waypoints![/p]
• [p]Simplified UX for enabling waypoints to appear in the game world[/p]

[h2]Gameplay and Content Improvements[/h2]

• [p]Four new Beards and one new hair included for everyone in the Dwarf Creator[/p]
• [p]Dwarves can now sit! Approach any existing player buildable seat and watch how your Dwarf… just… relaxes… and sits… and wait a minute, there is work to be done. Get up get up.. Moria isn’t gonna return itself![/p]
• [p]The environment art in two major landmarks have been completely revamped to be more destroyable and better able to be restored. [/p]
• [p]Dirt piles and other various environmental ornamentation can be destroyed with a pickaxe or cleaned up by building a hearth.[/p]
• [p]Greater variety among Orcs in terms of appearance.[/p]
• [p]Poison areas are now more visible and better represent the danger area.[/p]
• [p]Poison mushrooms can now be easily destroyed - no need to avoid specific areas or have the perfect build space ruined by an unwanted mushroom![/p]
• [p]Building Menu re-organized to better reflect play patterns[/p]
• [p]Dedicated servers have been updated to support the expansion[/p]

[h2]Hotfix 1.6.4 Inclusions [/h2]

• [p]Fixed a crash when approaching bedrolls while having the “Show Custom Text” setting enabled[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where two story Expedition icons can appear at the Expedition map at the same time[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where in some cases an important story Expedition icon was not appearing on the Expedition map[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where story Expeditions were not generating correctly if two players were interacting with the Expedition map at the same time.[/p]

[h2]Other Bugs and Fixes[/h2]

• [p]Iolite now drops when mining Star Metal Ore[/p]
• [p]Fixed a crash that was caused by players building multiple hearths too near one another[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where defeating an enemy with a weapon imbued with Yarog-luthnul rune caused them to incorrectly drop Ironwood[/p]
• [p]Updated descriptions of several player items that incorrectly stated non-existent gameplay effects. Sorry Blue Mountains Dwarves.[/p]
• [p]Hearth lighting no longer discolors nearby water[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where the player Dwarf would unnaturally slide when swinging a repair hammer[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where the player Dwarf would be teleported out of bounds when traveling to a map stone in a late game area.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where the player Dwarf’s hair would clip into the clothing when wearing the DLC Beorn Set[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where players were unable to fast travel to areas discovered by other party members[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where statues would occasionally be built sunk into the ground[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where occasionally a Great Forge would appear active before repairing them[/p]
• [p]Fixed various typos in item descriptions[/p]

[p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink] [/p][p]The following is a high level listing of the expansion’s major additions. Some very light spoilers may follow. Unless otherwise noted all features unlock after the concluding cinematic in both Campaign and Sandbox worlds. In Campaign worlds, many features unlock as the story progresses. Also note this is not a comprehensive list of all features or content (we wanted to leave a few surprises!)
[/p][h2]Available before reaching the Dimrill Gate[/h2]

• [p]Find up to four Survivors of Gimli’s Company, rally them together and build a small company of your own as you face the long dark.[/p]
• [p]Solve the mystery of the Endless Stairs and unlock Durin’s Tower.[/p]
• [p]Five new songs were added: some are in the tavern song rotation, and some during story moments.[/p]
• [p]Dedicated servers have been updated to support the expansion[/p]

[h2]Available after the Dimrill Gate[/h2]

• [p]Open a camp for NPC where potential recruits can apply to join your Company of Moria[/p]
• [p]Build Delvings to manage where the NPCs live and give them jobs that help you thrive[/p]
• [p]Build Great Monuments to advance the Company level and unlock more Delvings and upgrade existing Delvings[/p]
• [p]Open a trading camp and exchange trade goods for unique resources, building recipes, meal recipes and crafting recipes[/p]
• [p]All new Sandstone and Marble building sets available to unlock via trading.[/p]
• [p]Build an Expedition Table and go on short expeditions to newly generated areas[/p]
• [p]Discover new story enemies and how to defeat them.[/p]
• [p]New cosmetic items rewarded for completing the Expansion story[/p]
• [p]Cosmetic and Equippable outfits and hats for NPCs and Players [/p]

[p]The following are known issues and the team is working on addressing these for future patches. If you encounter these please feel free to submit a support ticket to us via our Support Page with as much information about your experience as possible.[/p]

• [p]Tinted armor is shown as default color when given to an NPC[/p]
• [p]Items offered by the traders can remain highlighted, even when they aren’t purchasable[/p]
• [p]Cooks can travel back and forth between multiple cooking stations when there aren’t any materials available[/p]
• [p]Reviving a fallen NPC can cause them to display the incorrect status briefly[/p]
• [p]Certain NPC outfits and hats are not retaining their tints[/p]
• [p]Using a mapstone to travel to the Dimrill Dale causes stamina to deplete briefly[/p]
• [p]NPC interact prompts are visible from far distances[/p]
• [p]Aric’s in-world waypoint can be visible indefinitely[/p]
• [p]NPCs don’t always face the player when singing[/p]
• [p]In rare instances, building a hearth doesn’t remove all nearby grass or rocks[/p]
• [p]Singing while standing on stairs can cause minor animation issues for the Dwarf[/p]
• [p]In rare instances, the minimap outline may be visible on the loading screen [/p]
• [p]Durin’s Axe fragment search area Audio and Visual cues are missing in multiplayer[/p]
• [p]The Wanderer NPC can sometimes be missing from his assigned Delving, but this does not block progression[/p]
• [p]In rare instances NPCs can appear below the floor or be missing and marked ‘lost’ - in most cases this recovers by withdrawing the NPC from a delving and then reassigning them. It may also be solved by closing and loading the world. [/p]
• [p]In some cases NPCs will say they are blocked from their destination. It may be necessary to destroy and rebuild items like beds and crafting stations to better enable their routing.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Thank you all for your ongoing support of Return to Moria! We're so excited to release TU6 and Durin's Folk for players, and can't wait to hear what you think. If you have any feedback or issues to report, please let our Support Team know via our Support Page.[/p][p]You can purchase Durin's Folk Now on Steam,[/p][p]Join our Discord to share your adventures and keep up to date on all the latest from the team in the dev-updates channel![/p]

[h3]Return to Moria once more and continue your quest to restore the legendary Dwarven stronghold. New adventures await inside and outside of Moria! [/h3][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Live streaming of the new expansion Durin's Folk is happening so sit down, relax and meet some new Dwarves![/h3]

[h3]NPC's are here! [/h3][p]Unlock Durin's Folk Expansion today and venture to the Dimrill Gate to embark on a brand-new adventure in Moria! [/p][p][/p]

• [p]The Recruiting Post: Rescue and recruit NPCs you meet in the mines. These recruits [/p][p]will join your settlement and assume roles like blacksmith, miner, brewmaster, and [/p][p]guard![/p]
• [p]Restore Moria: Construct great works called “Monuments” with help from those you [/p][p]rescue! [/p]
• [p]Multiplayer Expeditions: Conquer procedurally generated dungeons, undertaking [/p][p]randomized end-game adventures alone or with friends! [/p]

[p][/p]

• [p]Explore New Outdoor Areas: Uncover the mystery of Durin's Tower, explore outside the [/p][p]mountain for the first time, and create epic bases in a large new buildable space! [/p]
• [p]End-Game Economy Update: Master the updated end-game economy, which provides [/p][p]new materials, items, and recipes that unlock lore and content! [/p]

[p][/p][p][/p]