Warhorse Studios, the Czech developer behind the acclaimed Kingdom Come: Deliverance series, is fueling speculation about its next project after refusing to confirm or deny rumors that it is developing a Lord of the Rings game. During a recent Reddit AMA, the studio offered tantalizing but carefully worded responses that have left fans reading between the lines.
The rumors originated from the Tolkien Polska podcast in March, where localization specialist Ryszard Chojnowski mentioned hearing about a Warhorse-developed Lord of the Rings title from an industry source. When fans pressed the studio directly during the Q&A session, content director Ondřej Bittner responded with a statement that neither confirmed nor denied the speculation. “We are hard at work on … something,” Bittner wrote. “I cannot disclose details but I can tell it is a huge, immersive RPG.”
Bittner also indicated that whatever Warhorse is building will be “an RPG true to our colours — huge, story-driven and immersive,” and that a formal announcement could come in the “near future.” Community manager Tom Grey added a lighter touch, noting that the studio cannot comment on future projects “at least not until we’re in the future.” The studio also confirmed it has no plans to leave the RPG genre behind.
The corporate structure lends credibility to the Lord of the Rings theory. Warhorse is owned by Plaion, a subsidiary of Embracer Group, which holds the gaming rights to Tolkien’s Middle-earth franchise. Embracer has previously stated it was prototyping multiple Lord of the Rings game concepts, and its franchise head Lee Guinchard has publicly expressed ambitions for a “renaissance” in Lord of the Rings gaming. Crystal Dynamics, another Embracer-owned studio, is also rumored to be working on a separate Tolkien adaptation.
A Warhorse-developed Lord of the Rings RPG would represent a notable shift for a studio that has built its reputation on historically grounded medieval settings without fantasy elements. However, the team’s expertise in crafting detailed open worlds, deep narrative systems, and weighty melee combat could translate well to Middle-earth. The timing also aligns with renewed interest in the franchise, with multiple films in production including the 2027 release of The Hunt for Gollum directed by and starring Andy Serkis.
For now, fans will have to wait for an official reveal. But given Bittner’s promise that news is coming in the “near future,” Warhorse’s next chapter may not remain a mystery for much longer.