How to Fix 3-Player LAN in Lord of the Rings: War in the North
Lord of the Rings: War in the North is widely considered one of the best cooperative Middle-earth experiences, but it is notorious for its technical hiccups. For many players, the biggest hurdle isn't the trolls of Fornost—it’s actually getting a 3-player LAN connection to work without constant disconnects or "Session No Longer Available" errors.
If you’re trying to set up a nostalgic couch co-op or local network session, here is the definitive guide to fixing the common 3-player LAN issues. 1. The "Same Version" Rule
Before tweaking any files, ensure all three PCs are running the exact same version of the game.
Steam Players: Right-click the game in your library > Properties > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files.
Manual Installs: Check the version number in the bottom corner of the main menu. If even one player is on a different patch, the third player will consistently fail to join the lobby. 2. Use a Virtual LAN (The "Hamachi/Radmin" Method)
Even if you are in the same room, the game’s built-in netcode often struggles with modern router security protocols. Many players find that using a Virtual LAN (VLAN) bypasses the "invisible" firewall issues that prevent a 3rd player from joining.
Download Radmin VPN (preferred for its stability over Hamachi). Have one player create a private network. Have the other two players join that network. Launch the game and search for Local Area Network games. 3. The Connection Timeout Fix (INI Edit)
The game has a very short "handshake" window. When a third player tries to join, the game often times out before the connection is verified. You can extend this window manually.
Navigate to your game folder (usually Documents\WitN or the Steam common folder). Find the file named game.ini or user.settings. Look for a line regarding ConnectionTimeout or PeerTimeout.
Change the value from the default (often 5000 or 10000) to 30000. Save and restart the game on all three machines. 4. Disable "Green Man Gaming" or Steam Overlays
For reasons unknown to the developers, the Steam Overlay and third-party tracking software often interfere with the peer-to-peer (P2P) packets required for a 3-player session.
Disable Steam Overlay: Steam Settings > In-Game > Uncheck "Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game." lord of the rings war in the north 3 player lan fix
Kill Background Apps: Close Discord, Spotify, or any heavy bandwidth-using apps before attempting to host the LAN session. 5. Port Forwarding for LAN
If you are playing on a traditional local router without a VPN, you must ensure the following ports are open in your Windows Firewall for all three computers: UDP: 3074, 27000-27015 TCP: 27015-27030
Pro Tip: If the 3rd player is still getting kicked, try changing who the Host is. Usually, the player with the most powerful CPU and the most stable wired connection should host the session. Summary Checklist for a Stable 3-Player Session:
Wired is better: Avoid Wi-Fi if possible; the packet loss in War in the North is unforgiving.
Turn off Firewalls: Temporarily disable Windows Defender/Firewall on all three PCs to test the connection.
The "Lobby" Trick: Have the host wait in the Bree or Rivendell hub area before the 2nd and 3rd players join, rather than joining from the main menu.
By following these steps, you can finally experience the full Fellowship of Farin, Eradan, and Andriel without the dreaded "Connection Lost" screen.
To fix the 3-player LAN connection for Lord of the Rings: War in the North , especially since official servers were shut down, you can use a Virtual LAN tool like LogMeIn Hamachi Nucleus-Coop Option 1: Virtual LAN (LogMeIn Hamachi)
This method allows three separate PCs to play together over a simulated local network. Network Setup
: All three players must download and join the same network on LogMeIn Hamachi Compatibility Fix : Locate the game’s executable file ( ), right-click Properties Compatibility , and set it to In-Game Settings Launch the game and go to Game Settings Change the Connection Type from "Internet" to Host the Match : One player goes to Multiplayer Create Player Match
. The other two should then be able to see and join the lobby via the Search Match Option 2: 3-Player Local Split-Screen (PC) If you are playing on a single powerful PC, use Nucleus-Coop to simulate three separate game instances. Download Nucleus : Get the latest version from the Nucleus-Coop Website Download Script
: Search for and download the "Lord of the Rings: War in the North" script within the app. Controller Setup How to Fix 3-Player LAN in Lord of
: Connect three controllers. Assign each controller to a screen segment in the Nucleus UI.
: Once the instances open, the host creates an online/LAN match, and the other two "players" join through the in-game search menu. Common Connection Fixes Disabled Services
: Disable the "Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service" in Windows (Task Manager > Services) to prevent crashes every 15–20 minutes. Invite Method
: If LAN search fails, try having the host start the game until they are walking around, then send invites through Steam (if using the Steam version). Audio Sample Rate : Lowering your sound card’s sample rate to
in Windows settings can resolve some multiplayer stability issues. Steam Community
If you're still getting the "Can't establish connection" error, let me know if you are using a physical disc digital version (Steam) so I can provide more specific troubleshooting.
How To Play Lan Online Guide: LOTR War in The North : r/lotr 28 Dec 2022 —
Here’s a draft blog post based on your title. It’s written for a tech/troubleshooting blog, assuming the reader is trying to play Lord of the Rings: War in the North with 3 players over LAN and hitting the infamous connection bug.
Title: How to Fix 3-Player LAN in Lord of the Rings: War in the North (Still Works in 2026)
Posted by: [Your Name]
Game: The Lord of the Rings: War in the North (PC)
If you’re here, you already know the pain. War in the North is a fantastic co-op action RPG, but its netcode is famously broken. The biggest heartbreak? Trying to get a full 3-player LAN game working.
Out of the box, you’ll likely see the third player get stuck on “Connecting…” or booted back to the main menu. Here’s the actual fix that still works today. Title: How to Fix 3-Player LAN in Lord
If you are in the same house but your router is blocking the broadcast (common with mesh WiFi systems), physical LAN may still fail. Use a virtual LAN tool to trick the game.
Method: ZeroTier (Preferred) or Radmin VPN
10.147.20.x).Note: Hamachi often fails for player 3 due to cosmetic node limits. Do not use Hamachi. Use ZeroTier.
The game’s peer-to-peer connection system struggles to route traffic correctly when more than two players try to join the same host. It’s not a firewall issue — it’s a direct IP binding issue.
Fix: How to get 3 players working on LAN — War in the North (PC)
Even with the GameSpy issue resolved, the most common problem for 3-player LAN setups is Windows Firewall and Router configuration. If one player cannot see the host's game, it is almost always a port issue.
The Specific Port: LotR: War in the North communicates primarily on UDP Port 27015.
Windows Firewall is notoriously aggressive with older games. The game executable (LotrWitN.exe) must be allowed on Private networks.
Introduction: The Forgotten Co-op Gem
Released in 2011 by Snowblind Studios, Lord of the Rings: War in the North remains a cult classic for fans of action RPGs and Tolkien’s legendarium. Unlike the movie tie-in games of the past, this title offered a gritty, M-rated take on the war behind the scenes of The Fellowship of the Ring. Its crowning achievement was the 3-player co-op campaign—allowing one player to control Eradan (Human Ranger), Farin (Dwarf Champion), and Andriel (Elf Loremaster) simultaneously.
However, 13 years later, the game has a notorious reputation on PC. The official online servers were shuttered years ago. While the game shipped with a "Direct IP" LAN mode, players trying to host a session today are often met with crashes, "Failed to Join," desyncs, or the dreaded "Connection to host lost."
If you are looking to relive the siege of Fornost with two friends over a LAN (or virtual LAN like Hamachi/ZeroTier), you have come to the right place. This guide provides the definitive Lord of the Rings War in the North 3 Player LAN Fix.
A major bug appears if you try to load a mid-campaign save with 3 players. The game tries to restore inventory states for missing players and corrupts the session.
Fix: Always start a LAN session from a Chapter beginning (The loading screens with the map of Eriador). Never load an "Auto-save" with 3 players. If you finish a chapter and see the "Victory" screen, have everyone quit to the main menu and re-host the next chapter.