It's been a roller coaster ride these past few weeks for the upcoming action sequel, Middle-earth: Shadow of War. Last month, fans were unhappy to learn that a loot box and microtransaction system would be available in the game. While everything can be earned by playing the game, developer Monolith has unveiled a special DLC character based on a deceased member and promised that the majority of proceeds will go directly to the family. Other special orcs have been introduced through a number of new trailers and the latest focuses on the orc assassins within the Dark Tribe.
As their name implies, these orcs work in the dark by serving primarily as assassins and specializing in stealth based attacks. The trailer shows the secretive group hunting an orc within a forest using fear, stealth, and traps to mark and execute their target. While playing Middle-earth: Shadow of War, these orcs may even utilize special items in battle such as smoke bombs which allow short distance teleportation, and dual wielding melee weapons such as curved daggers or small axes.
Holding an almost fanatical belief in Sauron, the Dark Tribe specializes in double-crosses and trickery, which gives their group the appearance of being larger in number than they are. At this time, it's not entirely known how these factions like the Dark Tribe fit into Talion's narrative, perhaps representing a fortress to overcome, or if they're simply one of the many factions roaming the much larger open world.
The Dark Tribe joins the growing list of various other orc tribes players will encounter in Shadow of War. So far, WB and Monolith have revealed three of the expected nine tribe factions through their own stylish trailers. These groups include the greedy Marauders, the industrious Machine Tribe, and the bloodthirsty Terror tribe. Two additional tribes, Outlaw and Slaughter, can be purchased by players as downloadable content for the game, or as part of the Gold Edition.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War releases on October 10, 2017 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.