Big news has arrived for the gaming world as Warhorse Studios has officially revealed its next two major projects. The studio confirmed that it is working on a new Kingdom Come: Deliverance adventure along with an open-world Middle-earth RPG set in the Lord of the Rings universe.
Warhorse Studios gained recognition in the gaming industry with the release of the first Kingdom Come: Deliverance in 2018. The game was praised for its realistic gameplay and historical setting. Later, the studio released Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 in 2025, which received an even more positive response compared to the original title.
The Journey and Success of Warhorse Studios
Studio co-founder Daniel Vávra previously worked as a designer and writer on the first two Mafia games. He founded Warhorse Studios in 2011 together with Martin Klíma.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance became well known because of its realistic open-world RPG experience. The game avoided magic and fantasy elements, focusing entirely on historical realism. Some players praised this immersive approach, while others believed the realistic mechanics slowed down the storytelling.
Despite the mixed opinions, the franchise built a loyal fanbase, and both games later received story expansions that made the adventures even larger.
Announcement of the New Kingdom Come and Middle-earth RPG
On May 20, Warhorse Studios shared a short teaser on its official social media account where it confirmed two new projects. The announcement included a simple image and a short statement saying:
“We’re excited to tell you more when the time is right.”
Rumors had been circulating for a long time that Warhorse Studios was developing a Lord of the Rings game, and this announcement has now officially confirmed it.
Interestingly, the words “Lord of the Rings” were not directly used in the announcement. Instead, the game was described as an “open-world Middle-earth RPG.” Middle-earth is the fantasy world where both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit stories take place.
This wording suggests that the new game may not follow the original stories or characters from the books and movies, but instead tell a completely new story within the same universe.
Is This Kingdom Come: Deliverance 3?
Warhorse Studios referred to the new Kingdom Come project only as a “Kingdom Come adventure.” Because of this, it is still unclear whether the title is officially Kingdom Come: Deliverance 3 or some kind of spin-off project.
Fans are now eagerly waiting for the studio to reveal more details in the future.
A New Fantasy Challenge for Warhorse Studios
The Kingdom Come franchise is famous for its historical realism, where magic and monsters do not exist. On the other hand, the Middle-earth universe is filled with fantasy creatures, magic, and massive adventures.
Because of this, many fans are curious about how Warhorse Studios will adapt its realistic RPG experience into a fantasy setting. It is also unclear whether the Middle-earth RPG will feature the same deep mechanics and complex systems as Kingdom Come or if the gameplay will be made more accessible.
If the developers keep the same hardcore realism, the game could feel overwhelming for more casual Lord of the Rings fans.
A Dream Open-World RPG for Lord of the Rings Fans
Several games have already been released in the Lord of the Rings universe, including Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War, which became especially popular because of their Nemesis System.
There is also an MMORPG called Lord of the Rings Online. However, a true open-world RPG fully focused on Middle-earth exploration and role-playing has never really existed before.
That is why many fans believe Warhorse Studios’ new project could finally become the dream Lord of the Rings game they have been waiting for.
