Free League Publishing have had a notorious uphill battle with the production of The One Ring Second Edition. After its 2011 award-winning first release, Cubicle 7 was set to publish the follow-up ... but was then cancelled. Worse still, they stopped printing all The One Ring materials. Then, thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign along with a partnership with Sophisticated Gaming, production resumed. Now, fans of the setting of Middle-earth can definitively mark their calendars, since Free League Publishing has announced a release date.
In an official press release, Free League Publishing have stated that The One Ring Second Edition's physical release will be available March 22. This release date includes the Core Rulebook, the Starter set, the official Loremaster Screen, the Rivendell Compendium, and the official dice sets. Unfortunately, the elaborate cloth map was only available in a limited capacity to those who pre-ordered this game from Free League's shop page.
What makes The One Ring Second Edition stand out from other fantasy TTRPGs on the market is the dedication to the authenticity of JRR Tolkien's Middle-earth. It is one of the most influential works of fantasy in the world and it is dense with history, lore, and geography. Free League Publishing is maintaining this authenticity based on this direct quote from the press release. "The year 2965 of the Third Age and the Shadow is returning. Rumors of strange things happening outside the borders of civilized lands are spreading and they sometimes reach the ears of individuals who recognize the sinister truth they hide. You are part of such a company of heroes seeking adventure. Restless warriors, curious scholars and wanderers, eager to seek what was lost or explore what was forgotten. Together, you are entering the Lone-lands of Eriador. It is here that the One Ring lies, a seed of the past that will one day lead the world to open war against the returning Shadow. The Enemy is moving, and smoke issues once more from Mount Doom, in the land of Mordor..."
If you prefer to have your TTRPGs in a digital format, or if you are eager to see what The One Ring Second Edition has to offer, the books are available in PDF format through DriveThru RPG right now.
