After 3 years of attempts, the Lord of the Rings MMO’s “Great Hobbit Run” is finally successful as a band of tutorial-level hobbits make it to Mount Doom, and celebrate by jumping into lava

A collective of hobbits assembles annually in The Lord of the Rings Online to journey from The Shire to Mount Doom, and after three years of endeavors, their mission is finally complete… or it should be, but someone neglected to bring The Ring.

In a time where multiplayer games are being discontinued within months, such as Ubisoft‘s XDefiant, or even weeks like Sony‘s Concord, it’s astonishing how many MMORPGs continue to thrive decades later. For instance, Final Fantasy 11, which first debuted on the PS2, is approaching its 25th anniversary in 2027 and still boasts a robust player community despite the popularity of Final Fantasy 14. Looking even further back, you can still play 1996’s Meridian 59 and 1997’s Tibia.

I mention this because I was astounded to find out that 2007’s The Lord of the Rings Online remains vibrant and is receiving expansions into the 2020s. Demonstrating the dedication of the fans, Twitch streamer BurkeBlack has been conducting the “Great Hobbit Run” for three years now. During this event, hobbits congregate at Bilbo Baggins’ residence in The Shire, and run all the way to Mount Doom, and since they aren’t undertaking quests, the hobbits enter a level 112 area in their weakest forms.

After nearly three years, the furry-footed champions achieved their goal. After an epic journey lasting almost seven hours, the hobbits finally reached Mount Doom, thereby fulfilling their quest. To commemorate their success, the group of hobbits willingly immersed themselves in the lava and resurrected at Rivendell.

Scott has been freelancing for more than th