How Long To Beat Shadow Of War Main Story And Completion Times
Middle-earth: Shadow of War expands significantly on its predecessor by offering a massive open world filled with sprawling fortress sieges and dynamic enemy encounters. Players planning their journey through Mordor often want to know how much time they need to invest to finish the campaign or reach total completion. Understanding the average playtimes across different playstyles helps gamers set realistic expectations before diving into Talion's story.
Main Story Length and Core Campaign
For players who focus strictly on the primary narrative objectives, completing Middle-earth: Shadow of War takes approximately 20 to 21 hours. Rushing through the main quests without spending extra time building an army or defending fortresses can shorten this time slightly. However, encountering tough Nemesis captains often requires minimal side engagement to stay appropriately leveled.
The main campaign leads players through multiple story acts across several distinct regions of Mordor. Navigating these acts requires balancing main story progression with basic recruitment to ensure your forces are strong enough for major story battles. Most players find that sticking purely to the central storyline provides a tight, action-packed experience without feeling overly bloated.
Main Story Plus Side Quests
Gamers who decide to tackle side quests, collect gear, and explore optional army mechanics will spend around 35 to 38 hours in total. This playstyle allows players to engage deeply with the Nemesis system, conquer regional fortresses, and unlock powerful abilities. Engaging with side content makes fortress sieges smoother and provides a more well-rounded narrative journey.
Tackling extra content also allows players to fully customize their playstyle with rare weapon drops and epic armor sets. Taking time to recruit powerful orc captains and manage fortress defenses adds noticeable hours to the overall playtime. This balanced approach remains the most popular way to experience the title, offering a great mixture of narrative progression and sandbox fun.
100% Completionist Times
Achieving 100% completion in Shadow of War requires a substantial time commitment, averaging around 57 to 60 hours for dedicated completionists. To fully clear the game, players must complete all secondary quests, locate every collectible, unlock every achievement, and complete the post-game endgame stages. Mastering every region and optimizing your personal army takes considerable dedication.
Post-game content, specifically defending your fortresses against invading forces, makes up a significant portion of the completionist grind. Players looking to maximize their experience will spend hours hunting specific Nemesis traits and leveling up legendary gear sets. For fans who love deep tactical gameplay, reaching full completion offers dozens of hours of rewarding content.
DLC Expansions and Extra Content
In addition to the extensive base game, the downloadable expansions add several extra hours of gameplay. Story expansions like The Blade of Galadriel and The Desolation of Mordor take roughly 2 to 4 hours each to complete depending on side objective focus. Completing both expansions alongside the main game offers a comprehensive Middle-earth adventure for ultimate fans.