Watch Marauder Orcs bust a move in this super-hip new Middle-earth: Shadow of War trailer

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Swing the axe and drop a beat.

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I'm not what you'd call a big Tolkien fan. I read The Hobbit in public school, I enjoyed the movie trilogy, I get the references in most of the memes, and that's about as far as it goes. Even so, I can't shake the feeling that this new "Marauder Tribe" trailer for the upcoming Middle-earth: Shadow of War isn't quite what ol' JRR had in mind when he envisioned the fearsome, ferocious Orcs. 

Maybe it's the bling. Maybe it's the beat. Maybe it's the way they strike a pose and bust a move as they work to demonstrate their commitment to "power" and "respect." It just feels off somehow—the sort of thing that might fit well with, say, Agents of Mayhem, but comes off as out of place in the world of Tom Bombadil.

Then again, Shelob isn't quite the same as I remember her, either. 

The Marauders aren't the only "themed" Orcish tribe on the menu: Previous trailers have introduced the Machine tribe (they make machines) and the Terror tribe (they cause terror). And to be fair to all involved, messing with the source material may not be the worst approach to take. As Joe said in his preview from last week, "When there's this much fun to be had tearing Mordor and beyond apart who's really complaining?" 

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is set to come out on October 10.   

Andy Chalk
Andy Chalk
US News Lead

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.