Middle-earth: Shadow of War is an upcoming action-adventure game set in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings universe. As a direct follow-up to the excellent Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Shadow of War expands on almost every aspect of the previous game, delivering a larger open world, more complex combat, and a hugely expanded "Nemesis" system, which sees procedurally-generated orc warlords vie for control of Mordor. Shadow of War is expected to be available on October 10 for $59.99.

Microsoft has a marketing deal with Shadow of War, which will hit both Xbox One and Windows 10 as an Xbox Play Anywhere title; a rare feat for a third-party, AAA game. Shadow of War will also be enhanced on the Xbox One X, with 4K visuals and boosted effects and features.

While the Xbox One X will steal the spotlight, Microsoft still projects that the Xbox One S will continue to outsell its flagship 4K console due to the more affordable price. For those who want to jump into the Xbox ecosystem at a lower price point, this new Shadow of War bundle might be just what the wizard ordered.

The Xbox One S comes with 4K media capabilities, including Netflix and UHD Bluray, with HDR lighting thrown in for good measure. It's sleek and compact, and can be positioned vertically for those with limited space.

The Xbox One S Shadow of War bundle will come in 500GB and 1TB hard drive options, with a copy of the game and some bonus in-game items. It also includes 14 days of Xbox Live and a one-month Xbox Game Pass subscription trial, clearly intended to rope in newcomers to the ecosystem.

Here are some more details on the bundle:

  • Xbox One S with either a 500GB or 1TB hard drive.
  • Middle-earth: Shadow of War, including the bonus in-game items Legendary Champions War Party and the Epic Sword of Dominion.
  • Xbox Wireless Controller.
  • One-month Xbox Game Pass subscription with unlimited access to over 100 Xbox One and Backward Compatible Xbox 360 games.
  • 14-day Xbox Live Gold trial to experience the most advanced multiplayer gaming network.

From Microsoft:

The 1TB bundle will be available for $349 USD in all Xbox One markets excluding China and Japan, and the 500GB bundle will be available for $279 USD in all Xbox One markets excluding the U.S., Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, China and Japan.

The bundle should be available on October 10, 2017, to coincide with the game's launch date, and it should serve as a great introductory offer for those not gunning for the Xbox One X this holiday season.

This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for more details.