The Game Census
Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ cover art

Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™

Monolith Productions · WB Games · 2017-10-09

SteamGOGPlayStation StoreAmazonMicrosoft Store

ActionAdventureRPG

Franchise: The Lord of the Rings · Modes: Single player

Releases: Oct 10, 2017 (Xbox One), Oct 10, 2017 (PlayStation 4), Oct 10, 2017 (PC (Microsoft Windows))

Experience an epic open-world brought to life by the award-winning Nemesis System. Forge a new Ring of Power, conquer Fortresses in massive battles and dominate Mordor with your personal orc army in Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™.

2,205
playing now
89%
positive of 117k reviews
Very Positive
steam rating
2,000,000–5,000,000
owners (SteamSpy est.)
15
twitch viewers (latest)
84/100
critic score (19 outlets, IGDB)
79/100
IGDB user rating (474 ratings)
36h
to beat · completionist 55h
gold
deck/linux tier (ProtonDB)
$49.99
steam price (US)

2,205 players in-game as of 2026-08-30 00:00 UTC (census sample)

Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a 2017 action-adventure game developed by Monolith Productions and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Shadow of War is the sequel to 2014's Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, both of which are based on J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. The game is set in between the events of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings film trilogies, from which the game also takes inspiration. The player continues the story of Talion, the Gondorian Ranger who bonded with the wraith of the Elf Lord Celebrimbor, as they forge a new Ring of Power to amass an army to fight against Sauron. The game builds upon the "nemesis system" introduced in Shadow of Mordor, allowing Talion to gain followers from several races of Middle-earth and command them in warfare.

Trailer

Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ trailer thumbnail

MIDDLE-EARTH: SHADOW OF WAR Trailer (2017)

≈34,125 YouTube results for this game's trailer search

Health check

Healthy
  • · 2,205 players in-game at the last census sample.
  • · 4,527 reviews in the last 8 weeks (~566/week).
  • · Review velocity up 9% vs the prior 8 weeks.
  • · Top 2% of 10,791 Action games in the census by review count.

Health tier since 2026-08-27

Estimated sales: 2.9M–7.0M copies

Review-multiple estimate from 116,596 total reviews — how this is computed.

Current store prices

GameBillet$4.46-91%
GOG$4.99-90%
Humble Store$4.99-90%
Steam$4.99-90%
WinGameStore$4.99-90%
GOG$4.99-90%
lowest across shops (ITAD)$4.99-90%
Microsoft Store$49.99

Deal snapshots via CheapShark, refreshed daily.

All-time low: $2.49 at Steam (2024-06-27) · bundled 3×via IsThereAnyDeal

12-month high $49.99 · on sale 94 of 119 observed days · $1.97 above the all-time low (census price snapshots)

Review momentum

PositiveNegative
2.2k2.2k20182026Week of 2018-01-01: 324 positiveWeek of 2018-01-01: 126 negativeWeek of 2018-02-01: 222 positiveWeek of 2018-02-01: 112 negativeWeek of 2018-03-01: 143 positiveWeek of 2018-03-01: 58 negativeWeek of 2018-04-01: 111 positiveWeek of 2018-04-01: 76 negativeWeek of 2018-05-01: 315 positiveWeek of 2018-05-01: 150 negativeWeek of 2018-06-01: 259 positiveWeek of 2018-06-01: 83 negativeWeek of 2018-07-01: 523 positiveWeek of 2018-07-01: 191 negativeWeek of 2018-08-01: 227 positiveWeek of 2018-08-01: 67 negativeWeek of 2018-09-01: 328 positiveWeek of 2018-09-01: 112 negativeWeek of 2018-10-01: 407 positiveWeek of 2018-10-01: 108 negativeWeek of 2018-11-01: 1,268 positiveWeek of 2018-11-01: 94 negativeWeek of 2018-12-01: 439 positiveWeek of 2018-12-01: 122 negativeWeek of 2019-01-01: 484 positiveWeek of 2019-01-01: 129 negativeWeek of 2019-02-01: 225 positiveWeek of 2019-02-01: 53 negativeWeek of 2019-03-01: 253 positiveWeek of 2019-03-01: 80 negativeWeek of 2019-04-01: 133 positiveWeek of 2019-04-01: 32 negativeWeek of 2019-05-01: 169 positiveWeek of 2019-05-01: 51 negativeWeek of 2019-06-01: 695 positiveWeek of 2019-06-01: 49 negativeWeek of 2019-07-01: 772 positiveWeek of 2019-07-01: 54 negativeWeek of 2019-08-01: 158 positiveWeek of 2019-08-01: 43 negativeWeek of 2019-09-01: 131 positiveWeek of 2019-09-01: 33 negativeWeek of 2019-10-01: 227 positiveWeek of 2019-10-01: 19 negativeWeek of 2019-11-01: 2,231 positiveWeek of 2019-11-01: 141 negativeWeek of 2019-12-01: 2,092 positiveWeek of 2019-12-01: 126 negativeWeek of 2020-01-01: 1,324 positiveWeek of 2020-01-01: 114 negativeWeek of 2020-02-01: 809 positiveWeek of 2020-02-01: 71 negativeWeek of 2020-03-01: 901 positiveWeek of 2020-03-01: 62 negativeWeek of 2020-04-01: 1,075 positiveWeek of 2020-04-01: 112 negativeWeek of 2020-05-01: 611 positiveWeek of 2020-05-01: 59 negativeWeek of 2020-06-01: 613 positiveWeek of 2020-06-01: 54 negativeWeek of 2020-07-01: 1,091 positiveWeek of 2020-07-01: 127 negativeWeek of 2020-08-01: 1,492 positiveWeek of 2020-08-01: 167 negativeWeek of 2020-09-01: 1,021 positiveWeek of 2020-09-01: 119 negativeWeek of 2020-10-01: 1,470 positiveWeek of 2020-10-01: 134 negativeWeek of 2020-11-01: 1,296 positiveWeek of 2020-11-01: 127 negativeWeek of 2020-12-01: 1,443 positiveWeek of 2020-12-01: 144 negativeWeek of 2021-01-01: 1,237 positiveWeek of 2021-01-01: 157 negativeWeek of 2021-02-01: 792 positiveWeek of 2021-02-01: 155 negativeWeek of 2021-03-01: 1,733 positiveWeek of 2021-03-01: 205 negativeWeek of 2021-04-01: 682 positiveWeek of 2021-04-01: 78 negativeWeek of 2021-05-01: 1,470 positiveWeek of 2021-05-01: 169 negativeWeek of 2021-06-01: 1,150 positiveWeek of 2021-06-01: 122 negativeWeek of 2021-07-01: 1,632 positiveWeek of 2021-07-01: 191 negativeWeek of 2021-08-01: 1,632 positiveWeek of 2021-08-01: 211 negativeWeek of 2021-09-01: 1,019 positiveWeek of 2021-09-01: 128 negativeWeek of 2021-10-01: 1,306 positiveWeek of 2021-10-01: 146 negativeWeek of 2021-11-01: 1,031 positiveWeek of 2021-11-01: 84 negativeWeek of 2021-12-01: 918 positiveWeek of 2021-12-01: 123 negativeWeek of 2022-01-01: 986 positiveWeek of 2022-01-01: 141 negativeWeek of 2022-02-01: 728 positiveWeek of 2022-02-01: 98 negativeWeek of 2022-03-01: 491 positiveWeek of 2022-03-01: 46 negativeWeek of 2022-04-01: 326 positiveWeek of 2022-04-01: 45 negativeWeek of 2022-05-01: 713 positiveWeek of 2022-05-01: 79 negativeWeek of 2022-06-01: 486 positiveWeek of 2022-06-01: 45 negativeWeek of 2022-07-01: 603 positiveWeek of 2022-07-01: 71 negativeWeek of 2022-08-01: 402 positiveWeek of 2022-08-01: 44 negativeWeek of 2022-09-01: 514 positiveWeek of 2022-09-01: 39 negativeWeek of 2022-10-01: 1,275 positiveWeek of 2022-10-01: 171 negativeWeek of 2022-11-01: 658 positiveWeek of 2022-11-01: 56 negativeWeek of 2022-12-01: 645 positiveWeek of 2022-12-01: 56 negativeWeek of 2023-01-01: 605 positiveWeek of 2023-01-01: 57 negativeWeek of 2023-02-01: 1,239 positiveWeek of 2023-02-01: 124 negativeWeek of 2023-03-01: 681 positiveWeek of 2023-03-01: 76 negativeWeek of 2023-04-01: 445 positiveWeek of 2023-04-01: 57 negativeWeek of 2023-05-01: 1,127 positiveWeek of 2023-05-01: 135 negativeWeek of 2023-06-01: 615 positiveWeek of 2023-06-01: 57 negativeWeek of 2023-07-01: 726 positiveWeek of 2023-07-01: 78 negativeWeek of 2023-08-01: 359 positiveWeek of 2023-08-01: 48 negativeWeek of 2023-09-01: 347 positiveWeek of 2023-09-01: 39 negativeWeek of 2023-10-01: 607 positiveWeek of 2023-10-01: 69 negativeWeek of 2023-11-01: 758 positiveWeek of 2023-11-01: 66 negativeWeek of 2023-12-01: 620 positiveWeek of 2023-12-01: 57 negativeWeek of 2024-01-01: 495 positiveWeek of 2024-01-01: 65 negativeWeek of 2024-02-01: 396 positiveWeek of 2024-02-01: 35 negativeWeek of 2024-03-01: 686 positiveWeek of 2024-03-01: 83 negativeWeek of 2024-04-01: 513 positiveWeek of 2024-04-01: 57 negativeWeek of 2024-05-01: 516 positiveWeek of 2024-05-01: 62 negativeWeek of 2024-06-01: 675 positiveWeek of 2024-06-01: 80 negativeWeek of 2024-07-01: 1,632 positiveWeek of 2024-07-01: 195 negativeWeek of 2024-08-01: 671 positiveWeek of 2024-08-01: 68 negativeWeek of 2024-09-01: 525 positiveWeek of 2024-09-01: 55 negativeWeek of 2024-10-01: 543 positiveWeek of 2024-10-01: 65 negativeWeek of 2024-11-01: 803 positiveWeek of 2024-11-01: 80 negativeWeek of 2024-12-01: 692 positiveWeek of 2024-12-01: 64 negativeWeek of 2025-01-01: 551 positiveWeek of 2025-01-01: 82 negativeWeek of 2025-02-01: 367 positiveWeek of 2025-02-01: 37 negativeWeek of 2025-03-01: 777 positiveWeek of 2025-03-01: 93 negativeWeek of 2025-04-01: 430 positiveWeek of 2025-04-01: 43 negativeWeek of 2025-05-01: 593 positiveWeek of 2025-05-01: 86 negativeWeek of 2025-06-01: 399 positiveWeek of 2025-06-01: 57 negativeWeek of 2025-07-01: 528 positiveWeek of 2025-07-01: 62 negativeWeek of 2025-08-01: 386 positiveWeek of 2025-08-01: 35 negativeWeek of 2025-09-01: 289 positiveWeek of 2025-09-01: 30 negativeWeek of 2025-10-01: 618 positiveWeek of 2025-10-01: 72 negativeWeek of 2025-11-01: 458 positiveWeek of 2025-11-01: 59 negativeWeek of 2025-12-01: 642 positiveWeek of 2025-12-01: 67 negativeWeek of 2026-01-01: 582 positiveWeek of 2026-01-01: 54 negativeWeek of 2026-02-01: 703 positiveWeek of 2026-02-01: 91 negativeWeek of 2026-03-01: 469 positiveWeek of 2026-03-01: 57 negativeWeek of 2026-04-01: 446 positiveWeek of 2026-04-01: 46 negativeWeek of 2026-05-01: 370 positiveWeek of 2026-05-01: 49 negativeWeek of 2026-06-01: 487 positiveWeek of 2026-06-01: 31 negativeWeek of 2026-07-01: 386 positiveWeek of 2026-07-01: 47 negativeWeek of 2026-08-01: 272 positiveWeek of 2026-08-01: 21 negative
Weekly review counts (Steam review histogram). Positive above the line, negative below.

Players online

2.2k9032026-08-06 21:00 — 1,500 players2026-08-07 05:00 — 903 players2026-08-07 13:00 — 1,467 players2026-08-07 21:00 — 1,608 players2026-08-08 05:00 — 1,069 players2026-08-08 13:00 — 1,738 players2026-08-08 21:00 — 1,769 players2026-08-09 05:00 — 1,214 players2026-08-09 13:00 — 1,931 players2026-08-09 21:00 — 1,977 players2026-08-10 05:00 — 906 players2026-08-10 13:00 — 1,572 players2026-08-10 21:00 — 1,515 players2026-08-11 05:00 — 903 players2026-08-11 13:00 — 1,609 players2026-08-12 21:00 — 1,551 players2026-08-14 04:00 — 968 players2026-08-15 12:00 — 1,646 players2026-08-16 20:00 — 2,226 players2026-08-18 04:00 — 1,074 players2026-08-19 11:00 — 1,271 players2026-08-20 19:00 — 1,860 players2026-08-22 02:00 — 1,330 players2026-08-23 10:00 — 1,655 players2026-08-24 17:00 — 1,985 players2026-08-26 01:00 — 1,398 players2026-08-27 09:00 — 1,134 players2026-08-28 17:00 — 2,156 players2026-08-30 00:00 — 2,205 players
Concurrent players, hourly average, last 30 days (census samples).

Price history

$60.56$2.992017-02-272026-08-302017-02-27 — best price $59.992017-10-28 — best price $55.432018-02-16 — best price $59.992018-05-09 — best price $59.992018-07-27 — best price $50.382018-09-26 — best price $41.992018-12-03 — best price $59.992019-01-18 — best price $20.002019-03-16 — best price $41.992019-04-21 — best price $16.492019-06-01 — best price $30.992019-08-25 — best price $49.992019-11-23 — best price $12.502020-01-25 — best price $37.482020-04-08 — best price $14.992020-07-21 — best price $12.492020-11-15 — best price $49.992021-03-03 — best price $8.842021-06-03 — best price $49.992021-10-04 — best price $49.992022-01-05 — best price $49.992022-05-12 — best price $7.492022-09-14 — best price $53.932023-01-03 — best price $5.992023-04-28 — best price $6.552023-08-29 — best price $39.882024-01-04 — best price $40.992024-04-04 — best price $49.992024-08-10 — best price $49.992024-12-13 — best price $4.492025-03-29 — best price $49.992025-08-08 — best price $49.992025-12-03 — best price $32.992026-04-05 — best price $32.992026-07-30 — best price $49.992026-08-30 — best price $4.46
Lowest recorded price across tracked stores, per day (census snapshots).

Attention

8843762026-05-28 — 527 pageviews2026-05-31 — 594 pageviews2026-06-03 — 541 pageviews2026-06-06 — 571 pageviews2026-06-09 — 620 pageviews2026-06-12 — 440 pageviews2026-06-15 — 409 pageviews2026-06-18 — 377 pageviews2026-06-21 — 745 pageviews2026-06-24 — 380 pageviews2026-06-27 — 460 pageviews2026-06-30 — 392 pageviews2026-07-03 — 436 pageviews2026-07-06 — 472 pageviews2026-07-09 — 504 pageviews2026-07-12 — 504 pageviews2026-07-15 — 482 pageviews2026-07-18 — 477 pageviews2026-07-21 — 457 pageviews2026-07-24 — 488 pageviews2026-07-27 — 571 pageviews2026-07-30 — 468 pageviews2026-08-02 — 479 pageviews2026-08-05 — 492 pageviews2026-08-08 — 477 pageviews2026-08-11 — 672 pageviews2026-08-14 — 654 pageviews2026-08-17 — 624 pageviews2026-08-20 — 481 pageviews2026-08-23 — 620 pageviews2026-08-25 — 537 pageviews
Daily Wikipedia pageviews (attention proxy, census-recorded).

Twitch viewers

13302026-08-26 23:34 — 5 viewers2026-08-27 03:34 — 9 viewers2026-08-27 06:34 — 6 viewers2026-08-27 09:33 — 15 viewers2026-08-27 12:34 — 3 viewers2026-08-27 15:34 — 2 viewers2026-08-27 18:34 — 8 viewers2026-08-27 22:34 — 17 viewers2026-08-28 01:34 — 84 viewers2026-08-28 04:34 — 18 viewers2026-08-28 07:34 — 13 viewers2026-08-28 10:34 — 3 viewers2026-08-28 13:34 — 8 viewers2026-08-28 16:35 — 9 viewers2026-08-28 19:34 — 18 viewers2026-08-28 22:34 — 15 viewers2026-08-29 01:34 — 53 viewers2026-08-29 04:34 — 23 viewers2026-08-29 07:34 — 10 viewers2026-08-29 10:34 — 5 viewers2026-08-29 13:34 — 11 viewers2026-08-29 16:34 — 99 viewers2026-08-29 19:35 — 64 viewers2026-08-29 22:34 — 21 viewers2026-08-30 01:34 — 16 viewers2026-08-30 04:34 — 117 viewers2026-08-30 07:34 — 108 viewers2026-08-30 10:34 — 16 viewers2026-08-30 13:34 — 12 viewers2026-08-30 15:34 — 15 viewers
Hourly Twitch viewers (census snapshots).

Completion

60+
achievements tracked
72.3%
earned "Better Luck Next Time"
25.8%
median achievement earned by

Global achievement rates from Steam.

Details

WindowsFull controller supportSingle-playerSteam AchievementsFull controller supportSteam Trading CardsIn-App PurchasesSteam CloudFamily Sharing8 DLC

12 supported languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish - Spain, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese - Brazil, Russian, Arabic, Korean, Simplified Chinese

Where its players are

Share of Steam reviews by language (top languages measured) — a proxy for where the player base lives.

Player tags

RPGWarGoreActionFantasyStealthViolentMedievalAdventureAction RPG

Census log

Computed from census-recorded observations only — dates are observation dates.

Recent updates

Players also track

Aarklash: LegacyMiddle-earth™: Shadow of Mordor™The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete EditionZigguratChildren of MortaBorderlands 3Hello NeighborLEGRAND LEGACY: Tale of the Fatebounds

Similarity via IGDB.

Official site ↗Wikipedia ↗Reddit ↗