The rumours were true, Warhorse are making an open-world Lord of the Rings RPG alongside a new Kingdom Come game

by

If you’ve been eagerly awaiting news since May 1st, when Edwin mentioned rumors about Warhorse—the creators of Kingdom Come Deliverance—working on a Lord of the Rings RPG, we have good news! The rumors are true. You can relax now: Warhorse has officially confirmed they are developing an open-world RPG set in Tolkien’s Middle-earth.

The studio also revealed they’re working on a new game in the Kingdom Come universe. They’ve described it as a ‘Kingdom Come adventure,’ which is vague – it could be a third main game in the historical series, or something completely different, like a rhythm game based on horseback riding. Right now, the details are unclear.

Let’s talk about the upcoming Tolkien game. The developers, Warhorse, describe it as an ‘open-world Middle-earth RPG’ instead of a ‘Lord of the Rings RPG,’ which likely means the story won’t be directly related to Frodo’s journey. The company funding the game, Embracer, purchased the rights to the world of Middle-earth in 2022. After some internal changes, they created a new company, Middle-earth Enterprises. This gives them the freedom to create a game set at any time within Tolkien’s vast history.

We’ve been keeping a secret, and we’re finally ready to share what we’ve been working on! We’re creating an open-world RPG set in Middle-earth, as well as a new adventure in the world of Kingdom Come Deliverance. Stay tuned for more details when we’re ready to reveal them! #WarhorseStudios #Announcement #lotr #KingdomComeDeliverance

— Warhorse Studios (@WarhorseStudios) May 20, 2026

I’d be interested in a story about the hobbits’ journey told from a unique perspective – similar to the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, where we see the larger war against Sauron happening around them. This approach would focus on their experiences while still acknowledging the massive conflict unfolding elsewhere. It’s something Monolith Productions successfully achieved in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War, and I think it could work really well here.

We recently found out Amazon cancelled their Lord of the Rings massively multiplayer online game. They hinted they’re working on a different game set in Tolkien’s world, but it could be anything – even something unexpected like a rhythm game! This new project from Warhorse Studios seems to be entirely separate from Amazon’s plans.

I’m really excited to see what Warhorse Studios does with their next game. I loved how the first Kingdom Come Deliverance created a believable world and its people. I recall hearing about dragons within the game, which was unusual for a historically-focused title. It turns out those ‘dragon’ remains were actually alligator bones – a clever detail, considering the people in that world had never seen an alligator and genuinely believed in dragons! It’ll be interesting to see how they handle a game actually set in a fantasy world. I hope they continue to focus on that same level of detail and commitment to realism within their fictional setting.

Currently, we don’t know much about the upcoming Middle-earth RPG, so my excitement stems from the studio’s impressive world-building in their previous games. However, I’m also a little cautious. The studio’s founder, Daniel Vávra, has publicly expressed opposition to what he terms “woke” games, even criticizing other titles after his own game, Kingdom Come Deliverance, received an award for its inclusive storyline. He seems to believe that some games push social messages too aggressively. Lord of the Rings presents a unique challenge, as the depiction of races like orcs is tied to themes of ‘otherness,’ and many adaptations have lacked diversity. The developers have the freedom to tell new stories within Tolkien’s world or revisit familiar ones, and both approaches are fine. I just hope that if they stick to traditional portrayals, it’s a creative choice and not a statement about how fantasy worlds should be presented. After all, fantasy is limitless – it can be anything the creators imagine.

Read More

2026-05-20 12:56