Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor cover art

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

by Monolith Productions · published by WB Games

Released September 30, 2014 on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Story Trailer thumbnail

About Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a open world third-person action role-playing video game developed by Monolith Productions and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, which takes place in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien's Legendarium. The game takes place in the 60-year gap between the events of Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings. It is a story of revenge, slaughter, and mystery set entirely in Mordor, the Land of Shadows. At its center is Talion, an ordinary man who loses everything, including his mortal life. The game is set in a fully open world, and features various role-playing game elements such as experience points and skills. There are various ways the player can complete their main objective. Aside from the main storyline, there are various side quests and random events the player can complete within Mordor. The melee system is inspired by that of the Batman Arkham series. Getting into a good fighting rhythm, using both regular attacks and counter-attacks will improve the player's combo multiplier. A unique feature of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is the Nemesis system. Every enemy in the game has their own name, rank, and memory. These enemies will continue to do their own jobs and tasks even when they're off screen. If the player does not kill an enemy in an encounter, this enemy will remember the player and change their tactics and conversations based on the encounter.

You are Talion, a Ranger of the Black Gate, keeping watch over Mordor which has remained undisturbed for ages. In the blink of an eye, everything is taken from you – your friends, your family, and even your own life. Resurrected by a mysterious vengeful spirit, you must now embark on a relentless vendetta against those who have wronged you.

Release dates by platform

PCNASeptember 30, 2014 · Out now
PlayStation 4NASeptember 30, 2014 · Out now
Xbox OneNASeptember 30, 2014 · Out now
PCEUOctober 3, 2014 · Out now
PlayStation 4EUOctober 3, 2014 · Out now
Xbox OneEUOctober 3, 2014 · Out now
PCAUOctober 8, 2014 · Out now
PlayStation 4AUOctober 8, 2014 · Out now
Xbox OneAUOctober 8, 2014 · Out now
Xbox 360NANovember 18, 2014 · Out now
PlayStation 3NANovember 18, 2014 · Out now
PlayStation 3EUNovember 21, 2014 · Out now
Xbox 360EUNovember 21, 2014 · Out now
PlayStation 3AUNovember 26, 2014 · Out now
Xbox 360AUNovember 26, 2014 · Out now
PlayStation 3JPDecember 25, 2014 · Out now
PlayStation 4JPDecember 25, 2014 · Out now
Xbox OneJPDecember 25, 2014 · Out now
MacJuly 30, 2015 · Out now
LinuxJuly 30, 2015 · Out now

Reviews & players

Critic score8418 reviews
Steam reviewsVery Positive93% of 98K positive
Player score791394 ratings on IGDB
Playing now766on Steam at last update

PC system requirements

Official specs from Steam

Full specs

Minimum

OS *64-bit: Vista SP2, Win 7 SP1, Win 8.1
ProcessorIntel Core i5-750, 2.67 GHz | AMD Phenom II X4 965, 3.4 GHz
Memory3 GB RAM
GraphicsNVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 | AMD Radeon HD 5850
DirectXVersion 11
NetworkBroadband Internet connection

Recommended

OS *64-bit: Win 7 SP1, Win 8.1
ProcessorIntel Core i7-3770, 3.4 GHz | AMD FX-8350, 4.0 GHz
Memory8 GB RAM
GraphicsNVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 | AMD Radeon HD 7950
DirectXVersion 11
NetworkBroadband Internet connection

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor FAQ

When did Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor come out?

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor was released on September 30, 2014 for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Is Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor on PlayStation 5?

No. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor has not been announced for PlayStation 5. It is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Is Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor on Xbox Series X|S?

No. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor has not been announced for Xbox Series X|S. It is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Is Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor on Nintendo Switch 2?

No. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor has not been announced for Nintendo Switch 2. It is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Who is making Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor?

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is developed by Monolith Productions and published by WB Games.

Is Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor multiplayer?

No. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is single player only.

How much does Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor cost?

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor costs $19.99 on Steam. Prices checked October 9, 2026.

Is Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor good?

Steam players rate it "Very Positive" — 93% of 97,530 reviews are positive. Critics average 84/100.

What are the minimum PC requirements for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor?

The minimum GPU is NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 | AMD Radeon HD 5850. See the full minimum and recommended specs on our Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor system requirements page.

Middle-earth series

6 games in release order

Full timeline
  1. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor2014
  2. Middle-earth: Shadow of War Mobile2017
  3. Middle-earth: Shadow of War2017
  4. Middle-earth: Shadow of War - Gold Edition2017
  5. Middle-earth: Shadow of War - Silver Edition2017
  6. Middle-earth: Shadow of War - Mithril Edition2017

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