With the addition of a new difficulty level, The Battle for Middle-Earth II also added new factions and maps, as well as a system to create your own heroes in the PC versions. The game had a few slight differences from the original Battle for Middle-earth, like the controls and exclusion of build plots, but players soon forgot the old controls and will get used to the new ones. Electronic Arts released the game for the Xbox 360 and PC in the spring of 2006, along with a collector's edition for ten dollars more, and an Expansion pack later, named The Rise of the Witch-king.
The second part in the Battle for Middle-earth series, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II (abbreviated BFME 2), is a real-time strategy game just like its prequel.