Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a continuation of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
The game operates on the world and the characters of the books of JRR Tolkien. However, it will be more accurate to say that the game is closer to the cinematic version of this story, created by director Peter Jackson. This is noticeable both in the visual solutions of some locations, and in the events themselves and their location in time relative to each other.

Judging by the events, the game takes place between the events of the books "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings". However, in the game there are also such events as the fall of the city-fortress of Minas Ithil and its transformation into Minas Morgul - in books these events occur several thousand years earlier.

As in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, in the game Middle-earth: Shadow of War, the Nemesis system operates. This system provides a change in the world of the game and its inhabitants from the actions of the player. Therefore, each passage differs from other passages. For the game Middle-earth: Shadow of War, the Nemesis system has been improved.

If the player has the game Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, he can transfer to Middle-earth: Shadow of War some characters from the previous game - one enemy and one ally.

The player controls Talion. Taleon is obsessed with the spirit of the elven ruler of Celebrimbor. Taleon tries to use one of the rings of power to build an army of orcs and trolls and fight with Sauron and his generals.