A fresh rumor has put Kingdom Come: Deliverance developer Warhorse Studios at the center of one of the most exciting fantasy game stories in recent memory. The claim is that Warhorse could be involved in a new The Lord of the Rings open-world project, one that is reportedly being designed as a third-person action game with enough scale and funding to chase the same mainstream success Hogwarts Legacy enjoyed.
That is the exciting version of the story. The more careful version is that this is still very much in rumor territory. In fact, a newer Insider Gaming report says sources indicate Warhorse is not the studio behind this specific Lord of the Rings project, and that Crystal Dynamics is the developer currently tied to it instead. So right now, the smart read is simple: a big Lord of the Rings game appears to be in the works, but Warhorse’s exact involvement is far from confirmed.
A Kingdom Come Deliverance Game Set in the Lord of the Rings Universe Could be a Match Made in Heaven
It is not hard to see why this rumor caught fire so quickly. Warhorse has built a strong reputation for grounded world design, immersive RPG systems, and believable medieval environments through the Kingdom Come series. A studio with that kind of pedigree working on Middle-earth sounds like a dream pitch on paper, especially for players who want a more serious and lived-in take on Tolkien’s world rather than something overly flashy or arcade-like.
The rumor appears to have gained momentum after claims circulated that Polish industry veteran Ryszard Chojnowski had heard from credible sources that Warhorse was attached to the project. That report was then amplified by gaming news accounts and reposted widely on social media. But even the outlets covering that angle stressed that it remained unconfirmed speculation.
The part of this story that has shown up more than once is the existence of a large-scale Lord of the Rings game reportedly backed by major outside funding. Insider Gaming reported in September 2025 that a new The Lord of the Rings title was in development as a third-person action game, and that it was being positioned to compete with Hogwarts Legacy. The same reporting said the project was expected to receive around $100 million from the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, with an update later saying the deal had been signed.
That is a serious number, and it explains why people instantly started dreaming big. A Middle-earth game with a massive budget, third-person action, and open world ambition is exactly the kind of pitch that gets fans imagining sprawling kingdoms, deep roleplaying systems, and blockbuster production values.
The biggest twist in the story
Here is where things get messy. The latest reporting from other sources now says that while recent rumors pointed toward Warhorse, sources close to development say Warhorse is not the studio making that specific Lord of the Rings game. Instead, Crystal Dynamics is attached to the project, while both Embracer and Crystal Dynamics declined to comment publicly.
That does not completely kill every possible Warhorse-related rumor in the wider sense, but it does undercut the main claim that the studio is behind the already rumored $100 million Lord of the Rings title. For now, that matters a lot. It means headlines presenting Warhorse as the confirmed developer are getting ahead of the available evidence.
Warhorse actually would be a great fit for Lord of the Rings
Absolutely. That is probably why the rumor spread so fast in the first place. Warhorse understands how to build worlds that feel dense, harsh, and believable. If you want Middle-earth to feel like a place where people actually live, trade, fight, and survive, Warhorse is the kind of studio that makes immediate sense.
At the same time, The Lord of the Rings is not just muddy villages, grounded swordplay, and political tension. It also needs wonder. It needs scale. It needs myth. That is where any adaptation gets difficult. A Warhorse-style Middle-earth game could be incredible, but only if it finds the right balance between realism and fantasy. That is why this rumor is so fascinating. It feels believable enough to excite people, even if the reporting around it is still unsettled.
A huge Middle-earth game could be exactly what the franchise needs
The truth is, The Lord of the Rings games have not had the smoothest run lately. That is part of why this rumor has landed so well with fans. People want a proper comeback. They want a game that treats the license like a premium fantasy world again, not just a recognizable brand to slap onto a weaker concept. A big-budget third-person open-world game with real ambition sounds like the reset button the franchise needs.
Whether that game ends up being made by Warhorse or Crystal Dynamics, the idea itself is strong enough to turn heads. But until a publisher says something official, this is still a story that should be handled carefully.
Right now, the safest conclusion is that a major The Lord of the Rings game is reportedly in development, with previous reports tying it to around $100 million in Abu Dhabi Investment Office funding and ambitions big enough to rival Hogwarts Legacy. What is not safe to say yet is that Warhorse is definitely making it. The latest reporting points elsewhere.
So yes, the rumor is exciting. Maybe even a little too exciting. Warhorse and Middle-earth sound like a perfect match, but this is one of those stories where the fantasy is currently stronger than the confirmed facts. Until we get an official reveal, fans should enjoy the idea, but keep one foot on the ground.
