Halloween is just around the corner and the spookiest month of the year has brought a wide variety of events to our favorite games. Join us as we explore the details of these frightening events.

Earlier today it was announced that the official launch date of the upcoming Lord of the Rings Online expansion, titled Helm's Deep, will be November 18, 2013. Features include:

• Experience the Battle for Helm's Deep – Fight to defend Helm’s Deep starting as early as level 10 and earn rewards for your contributions
• Explore new landscapes across Western Rohan - Explore the Westemnet of Rohan and rally each of the five ridings as Rohan returns to glory. Traverse the capital of Edoras, mysterious Dunharrow, and the fortress of the Hornburg within Helm's Deep.
• Advance from levels 85 to 95 - Experience 10 new levels, from 85 to 95, with new skills and completely updated class specializations. Both mounted and un-mounted combat will challenge you as you war against the evil forces of Saruman.
• Continue the Epic Story - Encounter beloved characters such as Aragorn, Éowyn, and Éomer. Restore King Théoden to his rightful throne while you defend the peoples of Rohan at Helm’s Deep.

Lord of the Rings Online kicked off Helm's Deep beta on Friday, September 5. A wave of invites along with a reminder to not talk about beta were sent out the day prior. Helm's Deep will be the fifth expansion for the game and is expected to launch in Fall 2013.

One of the changes coming to Helm's Deep is to the Trait Tree (pictured here). According to Sapience, the LotRO Community Manager, "The skills on the left unlock as you progress through the trees. They're not gated by Turbine Points."

With class changes incoming, a Developer Diary entry was released regarding the Burglar class. RockX discusses how he focused on making the three roles unique with focused gameplay. Head over to the official site to check out all of the Burglar class changes.

Ann "Cyliena" Hosler, Managing Editor

Follow me on Twitter: @Cyliena

The Battle for Helm's Deep is one of the most iconic fantasy battles ever put to paper and has inspired the imagination of generations of avid Middle-Earth fans.

Get ready to take to the ramparts because this fall Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Turbine plan to put you right in the action, with the announcement of the fifth expansion of the Tolkien inspired Free-to-Play MMORPG, The Lord of Rings Online: Helm's Deep.

So what can eager fans expect as they venture into the western plains of Rohan?

Don't look now, but Update 10 has hit Middle-earth!

Lord of the Rings Online: Against The Shadow Part Two brings with it a whole host of changes, including the usual smattering of class updates, items and combat changes of course. But the real meat of the update features the second part of the Riders of Rohan instance cluster, Road to Erebor, with four exciting new raids:

• The Bells of Dale
• Road to the Lonely Mountain
• The Fires of Smaug
• The Battle for Erebor

And what would a preview be without accompanying screenshots? Just a wall of text, that's what! Check out the impressive screens below. 

There are many glorious battles throughout the Lord of the Rings. In the closing chapters of Tolkien’s epic saga, the monumental struggles at Minas Tirith and the Black Gate of Morannon marked a shift in the tide against Sauron’s dark shadow.

But as that Third Age drew to a close, similar conflicts were unfolding across Middle Earth. It’s these skirmishes and sieges that are the focus of the tenth update for Lord of the Rings Online. Concluding the Riders of Rohan instance pack, Turbine takes us on a journey from Dale to the Lonely Mountain. 

If you're a dyed-in-the-wool Lord of the Rings Online player, you're well aware that Update 10 is just around the corner. You're also probably aware of the Lonely Mountain raids that are coming to the game, including the 6-man The Bells of Dale, the 12-man Road to the Lonely Mountain, the 12-man The Battle for Erebor and perhaps the most intriguing, the 12-man The Fires of Smaug:

For the fifth Game of Christmas how could it be any game other than the most famous gold ring of Lord of the Rings Online?

It has been a big year for LOTRO, with Riders of Rohan bringing added scope to the already impressive game.

What's this we have here? New screenshots for Lord of the Rings: Online's Update 9? Why thank you, don't mind if I do! Right here we have the Iorbars Peak, where this Frost Giant looks like he's about to stomp an egg or two. And below, behind the jump, Webs of the Scuttedells and Seat of the Great Goblin. 

With The Hobbit releasing next week, all things Tolkien are on the public consciousness. That’s all well and good in my opinion as I’m a bit of a Lord of the Rings nut.

When I was given the opportunity to take a run through some of the changes coming to Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) with some of the charming devs at Turbine, I gladly accepted the chance to go romping through Middle Earth.