Warhorse Studios Commences Development on Untitled Lord of the Rings RPG
The studio behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance begins work on an open-world RPG set in Tolkien’s universe, coinciding with Embracer Group’s strategy to list its Fellowship Entertainment division separately.
Warhorse Studios, the Czech developer renowned for the Kingdom Come: Deliverance series, has officially confirmed it is developing an untitled open-world role-playing game set in Middle-earth. The announcement was made via the studio’s X page, where it also stated that development has commenced on a new, yet-to-be-announced Kingdom Come title.
The confirmation arrives as parent company Embracer Group moves to restructure its portfolio by spinning off its Fellowship Entertainment division into a separate publicly listed entity. This new division will manage the Tolkien-related intellectual property rights acquired by Embracer in 2022, alongside other major franchises including Tomb Raider and Dead Island.
Details regarding the Lord of the Rings project remain scarce. The studio has not disclosed a release date, specific gameplay mechanics, or the narrative scope of the game. It remains unclear whether the title will retain the first-person perspective characteristic of Kingdom Come: Deliverance or adopt a third-person view similar to other titles in the genre.
Rumours of a Warhorse-developed Lord of the Rings game had circulated within the industry for some time. The studio has established a reputation for story-driven, realistic, and challenging open-world RPGs set in medieval Bohemia, leading to speculation that its design philosophy could translate effectively to Tolkien’s universe.
The development of this RPG occurs against the backdrop of Amazon Gaming’s recent cancellation of its Lord of the Rings MMO project. Amazon retains a licensing deal with Embracer Group to develop games based on the IP, with Amazon Gaming chief Jeff Gratis stating that his team continues to explore a compelling new game experience for the franchise.
