Short Description
We, the Russian-speaking players of The Lord of the Rings Online, ask Standing Stone Games to create an official Russian-language channel in the LOTRO Discord and to consider adding or officially supporting a separate in-game chat for Russian-speaking players.

 

To: Standing Stone Games and the team behind The Lord of the Rings Online

We, the players of The Lord of the Rings Online, respectfully ask Standing Stone Games to create:

an official Russian-language section or chat channel in the LOTRO Discord;a separate in-game chat for Russian-speaking players, or another officially supported form of in-game communication for the Russian-speaking community.
Russian-speaking players remain an active part of the LOTRO community. Many of us have been playing for years. We create guides, run blogs, stream the game, help new players, organize raids, translate materials, and keep interest in LOTRO alive among Russian-speaking audiences. Yet today, we still do not have a convenient and officially recognized space for communication within the broader LOTRO community.

This creates several problems.

First, new players have difficulty finding other Russian-speaking players, asking questions, getting help, or simply feeling that they are part of a living community.
Second, existing players struggle to coordinate group play, recruit for kinships, discuss updates, and share experience efficiently.
Third, the absence of an official Russian-language space makes a significant part of the LOTRO player base less visible and less connected to the life of the game.

We are not asking for anything excessive. We are asking for a basic communication tool that would allow Russian-speaking players to:

find each other more easily;
help new players;
build and strengthen community ties;
lower the barrier of entry for new and returning players;
make LOTRO more welcoming and accessible for a wider international audience.
What we are asking for
In the official LOTRO Discord:
an official Russian-language text channel;
if possible, a Russian-language voice channel as well;
moderation under the same general community rules already used in the official Discord.
In the game itself:
a Russian-language in-game chat channel for communication, group finding, helping new players, and community coordination;
or another officially supported mechanism that would allow Russian-speaking players to have a stable, recognizable communication space.
We believe this would not divide the community. On the contrary, it would make it stronger, because more players would feel seen, included, and supported.

LOTRO has always been a game not only about adventure, but also about fellowship, friendship, and shared journeys. Russian-speaking players are part of that journey too.

We ask Standing Stone Games to hear this request and take a step toward the Russian-speaking LOTRO community.

Please sign this petition if you believe Russian-speaking LOTRO players deserve their own space for communication.

P.S. 

This request is not coming from a new or formed group of players. The Russian-speaking LOTRO community has existed for many years. From 2009 to 2015, we had our own Russian servers, our own shared space, our own guilds, raids, friendships, forums, and everyday in-game communication. During those years, a real and lasting community was formed.

Because of that history, Russian-speaking players are not simply asking for a new convenience. We are a long-established community that, in many ways, was left without its home. We are still here, still playing, still supporting the game, and still searching for ways to stay connected. Creating an official Russian-language space in the LOTRO Discord and an in-game chat would not create a community from nothing — it would give an existing community a home again.