Last updated on May 28, 2026
Rumours that had been circulating through industry backchannels for months have finally been put to rest. Warhorse Studios, the Czech developer celebrated for its uncompromising historical approach in the Kingdom Come: Deliverance series, is making a bold leap into high fantasy. The studio has officially confirmed it is working on an open-world RPG set in the Lord of the Rings universe.
The announcement landed via Warhorse’s official X account. While the team kept things sparse, no working title, no release window, no gameplay details, simply confirming the existence of a “Middle-earth open-world RPG” was more than enough to ignite the imaginations of fans worldwide. In a welcome surprise, the studio also suggested this ambitious project isn’t monopolising all of their resources: a new Kingdom Come title has quietly entered development as well.
From Muddy Bohemia to the Fields of Middle-earth
For those who have followed Warhorse’s evolution, this move feels less like a left turn and more like an inevitable progression. With the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance and its acclaimed 2025 sequel, the studio proved it holds the blueprint for deeply complex, narrative-driven RPGs built around organic world construction. The jump from the muddy villages of 15th-century Bohemia to the sprawling landscapes of Middle-earth is not as jarring as it might first appear. The foundational craft remains identical. All Warhorse needs to do is swap the crossbows for longbows, introduce orcs and elves into the design doc, and keep the exceptional storytelling instincts that define their work.
The real question is not whether Warhorse can make a great RPG, they already have. The question is what Tolkien’s world looks like through their particular lens of grit, consequence, and authenticity.
The community is already debating two defining creative choices: perspective and tone. Will Warhorse remain loyal to the first-person viewpoint that grounded Henry’s story so viscerally, or will they shift to a third-person camera, more accessible and more cinematic, as seen in The Witcher 3? Their near-brutal brand of realism applied to Middle-earth, where every encounter carries genuine risk, would redefine how players engage with Tolkien’s mythology entirely.
Embracer Splits Its Tolkien Business
This announcement arrives alongside a significant strategic shift at Warhorse’s parent company, Embracer Group. The Swedish conglomerate has unveiled plans to spin off its Fellowship Entertainment division into an independent, publicly listed entity. The newly separated company will take direct ownership of the Tolkien IP rights acquired in 2022 and will oversee the commercialisation of flagship franchises including Tomb Raider, Dead Island, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance.
A New Era for Middle-earth Gaming
Warhorse may not be the only studio heading into Tolkien territory. Although Amazon recently cancelled its long-discussed Lord of the Rings MMO, the company maintains an active partnership agreement with Embracer Group. In a statement to Eurogamer, Amazon Gaming’s head indicated the team continues to explore concepts for an interactive experience that honours the depth and complexity of Tolkien’s work.
Whether the two companies end up competing or collaborating, the outlook for single-player RPG fans looks genuinely promising. It has been a long drought for ambitious, story-driven games in Tolkien’s universe and the prospect of Warhorse filling that void is genuinely exciting.
I’m passionate about books and video games. These two great passions represent, for me, a boundless universe where I can “escape” from reality whenever I need or want to. There are so many stories, worlds, and landscapes where I can instantly teleport that I don’t think a whole lifetime would be enough to explore them all (though it would be my greatest dream to be able to).
