The kind of Middle-earth we will one day show you
From the cobblestone streets of medieval Bohemia, Warhorse Studios now turns its gaze toward the mythic landscapes of Middle-earth — a journey that speaks to the enduring human hunger for worlds that feel both vast and handcrafted. The Czech developer, fresh from critical triumph with Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, has confirmed an open-world Tolkien RPG alongside a new Kingdom Come adventure slated for 2027, announcements that arrive as parent company Embracer Group reshapes itself around its most cherished intellectual properties. In the long and often troubled history of Tolkien adaptations, this moment stands apart: rarely has a licensed property landed in hands so philosophically aligned with its source material's reverence for detail, consequence, and the quiet dignity of a living world.
- Warhorse Studios has officially confirmed an open-world Middle-earth RPG, ending weeks of industry speculation and raising the stakes for what a Tolkien game can aspire to be.
- A second announcement — a new Kingdom Come adventure targeting a 2027 release — caught observers off guard, suggesting a compressed timeline that points toward a smaller spinoff rather than a full sequel.
- The Lord of the Rings gaming legacy is a minefield: for every Shadow of Mordor success, there is a Gollum-shaped cautionary tale, and the pressure on Warhorse to honor Tolkien's lore while delivering reactive, systems-driven gameplay is immense.
- Embracer Group's split into Fellowship Entertainment and Embracer repositions Kingdom Come as a flagship IP, signaling corporate confidence but also raising questions about how two ambitious projects can be sustained simultaneously.
- Warhorse is asking its audience for patience on the Middle-earth RPG — and given the studio's track record, that ask carries more weight than it might from almost any other developer.
Warhorse Studios, the Czech developer behind the critically acclaimed Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, has confirmed two major projects in a single announcement: an open-world RPG set in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, and a new Kingdom Come adventure expected by fiscal year 2027. The Middle-earth announcement, shared across the studio's channels Wednesday morning, was characteristically measured — promising a world full of stories rather than spectacle, and asking for patience in equal measure.
The studio's credibility makes the ambition feel earned. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 won widespread praise for its meticulous recreation of 15th-century Bohemia, its reactive NPC systems, and its commitment to letting player choice drive narrative. Applying that same philosophy to Tolkien's legendarium is a significant wager, but Warhorse may be uniquely suited to it — the studio's instinct for authenticity and respect for source material stands in sharp contrast to the uneven history of Lord of the Rings games, which has ranged from the genuine success of the Shadow of Mordor titles to the widely derided 2023 Gollum release.
The new Kingdom Come project adds another layer of complexity. With Deliverance 2 only arriving in 2025, a 2027 window suggests something smaller in scope — a spinoff with different characters rather than a full sequel — though Warhorse has offered no specifics. Both announcements land against the backdrop of Embracer Group's corporate restructuring, which will split the holding company into Fellowship Entertainment and Embracer, with Kingdom Come positioned as a flagship asset in the new Fellowship entity alongside Metro and Tomb Raider.
No release date has been set for the Middle-earth RPG, and the scope of the project implies years of development ahead. For now, Warhorse is trading on the goodwill it has built — and for those who have spent time in its worlds, that goodwill runs deep.
Warhorse Studios, the Czech developer behind last year's critically acclaimed Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, has officially confirmed what gaming insiders have been whispering about for weeks: the studio is building an open-world role-playing game set in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The announcement came early Wednesday morning across the studio's social media channels and website, with a brief statement that captured both the ambition and the patience required for such an undertaking. "We are working on a new RPG set in Middle-earth," the developers wrote. "We have always been creating worlds full of stories that pull you in — and that's exactly the kind of Middle-earth we will one day show you."
The confirmation arrives at a moment when Warhorse's stock is particularly high. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, which launched last year on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation 5, earned widespread critical praise for its meticulous recreation of 15th-century Bohemia and its commitment to systems-driven gameplay that rewards player agency and experimentation. The studio's approach to world-building—layering in handcrafted detail, reactive NPC behavior, and interconnected mechanics—has made it one of the most respected independent developers working in the open-world space. Applying that philosophy to Tolkien's legendarium represents a significant bet, both for Warhorse and for Embracer Group, the holding company that owns the studio.
But the Lord of the Rings project is only half the news. Warhorse is also developing what the studio describes as "a new Kingdom Come adventure," and according to comments made by Embracer Group CEO Phil Rogers during the company's latest financial report, this game is expected to launch by the next fiscal year—suggesting a 2027 release window. That timeline caught many observers off guard, given that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 only arrived in 2025. The compressed schedule hints that this may not be a full-scale sequel but rather a smaller-scale spinoff with different characters and perhaps a narrower scope, though Warhorse has not yet clarified the project's exact nature.
The timing of these announcements coincides with a significant corporate restructuring. Embracer Group is splitting into two separate entities: Fellowship Entertainment, which will house core intellectual properties including Kingdom Come, the Metro franchise from 4A Games, and the Tomb Raider series from Crystal Dynamics; and Embracer, which will oversee more niche properties. The reorganization positions Kingdom Come as a flagship asset within the new Fellowship structure, signaling confidence in the franchise's long-term commercial potential.
The Lord of the Rings has had an uneven history in gaming. The licensed titles that accompanied Peter Jackson's film trilogy found audiences, and the 2014 and 2017 Shadow of Mordor games achieved both critical and commercial success, though they took considerable liberties with Tolkien's lore. More recent entries have been mixed: 2024's Return to Moria was well-received, while 2025's Tales of the Shire, a life simulation game, drew criticism for feeling hollow and repetitive. The less said about 2023's Gollum, the better.
Warhorse Studios, however, brings a different sensibility to licensed properties. The studio's games are defined by their commitment to authenticity, their respect for source material, and their willingness to let systems and player choice drive narrative rather than impose predetermined outcomes. If any developer seems equipped to create a Lord of the Rings experience that honors Tolkien's vision while delivering the kind of emergent, reactive gameplay that has become the studio's signature, it is Warhorse. Neither the studio nor Embracer has announced a release date for the Middle-earth RPG, and given the scope of the project, a multi-year development timeline seems likely. For now, the studio is asking for patience—and for those who have experienced what Warhorse can accomplish, that patience feels like a reasonable investment.
Citações Notáveis
We are working on a new RPG set in Middle-earth. We have always been creating worlds full of stories that pull you in — and that's exactly the kind of Middle-earth we will one day show you.— Warhorse Studios
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does Warhorse Studios feel like the right fit for a Lord of the Rings game, specifically?
Because they've built a reputation on the opposite of what most licensed games do. They don't impose a story on you and then let you walk through it. They create systems that talk to each other, and then they let you find your own path through them. That's Tolkien's world—it's vast, it's layered, it has its own logic. Warhorse respects that kind of depth.
The Kingdom Come game coming in 2027 sounds rushed. Is that a sign they're spreading themselves too thin?
It might be, or it might be smart. If it's a spinoff with a different scope—maybe a smaller story, different characters—then they could be using it to keep the franchise alive while the big Middle-earth project cooks. It's not necessarily a bad strategy. But yeah, two major projects at once is ambitious.
What does the Embracer restructuring actually mean for these games?
It means Kingdom Come is now a crown jewel in a new company built specifically to nurture flagship franchises. That's either very good or very constraining, depending on how Fellowship Entertainment operates. But the signal is clear: they're betting on Warhorse's ability to build worlds that matter.
Lord of the Rings games have failed before. What's different this time?
The previous failures either chased spectacle or chased the movies. Warhorse doesn't do that. They build worlds that feel lived-in, where NPCs have routines and relationships, where your choices ripple outward. That's closer to what Tolkien actually wrote—a world with its own weight and history, not a backdrop for your heroics.
How long do you think we'll actually wait for this game?
At least two, probably three years. And honestly, I think that's fine. Rushing a game this ambitious would be worse than waiting. Warhorse has earned the benefit of the doubt.