Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Studio Working On a Lord of the Rings Game

The team behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 may be working on the rumored Lord of the Rings game, according to one industry insider. While there are plenty of LOTR games out there, recent attempts have largely failed to impress fans of the beloved fantasy franchise, but a new title could have the chance to break the current cold streak. News that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2‘s studio might be developing the next game may provide a spark of hope for some players.

Rumors of a new game set in Middle-earth started circulating in the Fall of 2025. An anonymous source claimed Embracer Group was involved in a massive Lord of the Rings project, possibly to be LOTR‘s answer to the scale and success of Hogwarts Legacy. While those rumblings are still unconfirmed for now, Embracer does own the gaming rights to the LOTR IP, something it reportedly paid nearly $400 million to secure, so the media giant will almost certainly put something out at some point. That leaves plenty of room for interpretation, but there may be reason to believe Warhorse Studios is involved with the mysterious project.

Insider Says Warhorse Studios May Be Working on the Rumored Lord of the Rings Game

As spotted by user hiberner toujours on ResetEra, Polish game translator Ryszard Chojnowski recently went on a Tolkien podcast and stated that “credible sources” have told him Warhorse is the studio behind the rumored LOTR game. While Chojnowski did not dive into specifics about his sources, he has been in the gaming industry for a long time, having worked on titles from Baldur’s Gate 2 to Diablo 4, so it is at least believable that he may have connections to Warhorse or other project collaborators. The Embracer-owned studio is a natural fit for the franchise, too, considering Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 already has LOTR Easter eggs and the KCD series shows the team knows how to make a successful medieval RPG.

It is worth noting that Warhorse has previously denied rumors that it’s developing the LOTR game, but plenty of studios have written off leaks that ultimately proved true in the past. That could just be an instance of the Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 developer trying to keep things under wraps before there’s any official announcement, but it’s just as likely that Chojnowski’s information is incorrect. Interestingly, Chojnowski did mention he first heard these rumors months ago but didn’t believe them until he got more wind about the project recently.

If Warhorse is indeed working on the LOTR title, it could be good news for fans. Both Kingdom Come: Deliverance games have received praise from critics and players alike, and that style of RPG could translate well to Middle-earth. Embracer may not want to take a risk with a less established and proven studio, too, given recent letdowns in the LOTR franchise. After Tales of the Shire became one of 2025’s most disappointing games and Gollum was so poorly received that Daedalic Entertainment ended its development operations, LOTR fans have been left hungry for a game to live up to the high bar set by the books and film trilogy. Warhorse seems like a safe bet to make that happen.

Image via Warhorse Studios

That said, Warhorse is not without its own controversies, either. While gamers have largely criticized the use of generative AI in video games, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2‘s director has expressed enthusiasm over AI in development. Such comments have come under increasing scrutiny amid AI-driven layoffs throughout the industry, so they may taint Warhorse’s image among some of the fanbase. For now, it’s not even confirmed that the studio is involved with the rumored LOTR project, so anyone hoping to learn more will have to wait for more official news.

Released

February 4, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity

Developer(s)

Warhorse Studios