Prague-based Warhorse Studios — the team behind the Kingdom Come: Deliverance series — confirmed on May 20, 2026 that it is building an open-world RPG set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. The studio posted on its official X account that two new projects are in active development: the Middle-earth title and a new Kingdom Come adventure. No release windows, platforms, or story details were shared. Warhorse’s own studio website now states: “Warhorse Studios is entering a new chapter. We are working on a new RPG set in Middle-earth.”
From Bohemia to Middle-earth
A New Quest Begins in Prague
The Full Picture
What Warhorse Has — and Has Not — Confirmed
Warhorse’s announcement arrives on the same day Embracer Group announced the spin-off of Fellowship Entertainment — a new publicly listed entity that will house the Lord of the Rings IP alongside studios including Crystal Dynamics and Eidos-Montréal. Fellowship Entertainment is expected to begin trading on Nasdaq Stockholm in calendar year 2027. Warhorse Studios will operate as part of Fellowship’s portfolio. Both the Warhorse announcement and the corporate restructuring landed on the same day, though the studio did not comment on the timing.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II launched on February 4, 2025 and sold over five million copies. It won the BAFTA Games Award for Best Narrative in April 2026 and was named PC Gamer’s Game of the Year for 2025. The game was also nominated at The Game Awards 2025 for Game of the Year, Best Narrative, and Best RPG. That commercial and critical track record positions Warhorse as the most prominent developer in Embracer’s portfolio heading into this new Middle-earth project.
The Road So Far
Warhorse Studios — Key Milestones
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“You might have heard the rumours, it’s time to reveal what we are working on. An open world Middle-earth RPG. A new Kingdom Come adventure. We’re excited to tell you more when the time is right.”
Photo Source: Warhorse Studios / Deep Silver — Proprietary, all rights reserved.
Two Quests, One Studio
What We Know About Each Project
Described only as “open world Middle-earth RPG.” No era, characters, or setting details confirmed. The “Middle-earth” framing suggests the game may not follow the War of the Ring narrative from the main Lord of the Rings books.
Deliberately not called Kingdom Come: Deliverance 3. The phrase “new adventure” leaves open whether Henry of Skalitz continues as protagonist or a different story is explored within the same medieval setting.
Both projects are in early development. No release windows have been set.
Open-world RPG — consistent with the studio’s approach on both Kingdom Come games
Not announced. Both projects announced during what appears to be an early-stage reveal
Unconfirmed. Warhorse used “Middle-earth” not “Lord of the Rings” — which age of Tolkien’s world remains open
Middle-earth Enterprises (owned by Embracer Group, transitioning to Fellowship Entertainment spin-off)
Not announced
Prokop Jirsa and Viktor Bocan are Creative Directors following Daniel Vávra’s transition to the Kingdom Come film project
“A new Kingdom Come adventure” — not confirmed as Kingdom Come: Deliverance 3
Not confirmed. Henry of Skalitz’s story was largely concluded in KCD2
Not announced
Expected to remain in the medieval Bohemia world — no further details shared
Daniel Vávra, KCD series co-founder, is separately working on a Kingdom Come movie adaptation announced in February 2026
Not announced
Middle-earth games have had an uneven run in recent years. The Shadow of Mordor series from now-closed Monolith Productions stood out for its Nemesis System. More recently, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum (2023) received widespread negative reviews. On the upcoming side, tabletop and RPG adaptations of major franchises continue to interest publishers across formats. Embracer’s COO Lee Guinchard has said he wants to see “a renaissance of Tolkien games,” and the Warhorse announcement is the most concrete step toward that goal to date.
Warhorse’s approach on Kingdom Come: Deliverance has always leaned into systems-driven, historically grounded open worlds — large-scale simulation, reactive NPCs, and story-first design. New Creative Directors Prokop Jirsa and Viktor Bocan are both long-standing series veterans. When asked about future plans at the 2026 BAFTA Games Awards, Jirsa noted: “We can’t give you specific details, but yes, great things are coming.” Communications director Tobias Stolz-Zwilling added that Warhorse sees itself as “an RPG powerhouse,” and that “whatever comes next should be again a nitty-gritty RPG.”
Crystal Dynamics — another studio moving into Fellowship Entertainment — is also reported to be working on a separate Lord of the Rings title, per multiple industry sources. Two different Middle-earth games from two different studios within the same corporate umbrella would be consistent with Embracer’s stated goal of building “a renaissance of Tolkien games.” Neither project has confirmed details at this stage. The Game Tribune continues to track gaming updates and major title developments as further details emerge.
Warhorse Studios’ dual announcement on May 20, 2026 was made via the studio’s official X account and confirmed on its website. The two projects — an open-world Middle-earth RPG and a new Kingdom Come adventure — were announced without release dates, platform details, or story information. The announcements coincided with Embracer Group’s plan to spin off Fellowship Entertainment, which will house Middle-earth Enterprises and Warhorse Studios under one banner, with a Nasdaq Stockholm listing targeted for 2027.
The studio stated it is “excited to tell you more when the time is right.”