Warhorse Studios has dropped fresh comments about its upcoming Middle-earth RPG, describing the project as an “absolute passion project” built around a “living world” and a “strong narrative focus.”
The studio behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance and its 2025 sequel says it has assembled a dedicated team to take on Tolkien’s universe.
That is most of what the developer is willing to share for now. No setting, era, protagonist, platforms, perspective, combat system, or release window has been announced.
Warhorse built its reputation on grounded, research-heavy worldbuilding in Kingdom Come, with NPC routines, regional travel, social reputation, and detailed medieval settlements. A “living world” pitch from this studio carries more weight than the same phrase from most developers.
A “strong narrative focus” also lines up with how Warhorse tells stories. The Henry-led campaigns in both Kingdom Come games leaned on authored protagonists, dense questlines, and cinematic dialogue, rather than open-ended sandbox storytelling.
How that design DNA translates to a fantasy setting with Elves, Dwarves, orcs, and ancient magic is the big creative question, and Warhorse hasn’t answered it.
The license situation
The project sits under Embracer Group, which acquired Middle-earth Enterprises in 2022. That company controls key rights tied to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, while material from The Silmarillion and other Tolkien writings remains tied up separately with the Tolkien Estate.
In other words, the playable corner of Middle-earth is broad but not unlimited. Warhorse has also pointedly called this a “Middle-earth RPG” rather than a “Lord of the Rings RPG,” which leaves room for a story set apart from Frodo and the Fellowship, though nothing has been confirmed.
The project is reportedly still in pre-production while Warhorse’s next Kingdom Come game is in full development. Translation: this one is years away, and pretty much everything beyond the studio’s mission statement is still up for grabs.
