Rumors of a major AAA project set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings universe have circulated for some time. These speculations were recently addressed by Polish translator and expert Ryszard Chojnowski.
Chojnowski shared that a new Lord of the Rings game is indeed in development. According to him, the project is an open-world RPG, financed by investors from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with an estimated budget of around $100 million.
Warhorse Studios, acclaimed for their expansive and atmospheric Kingdom Come: Deliverance series, is reportedly at the helm of this project. Chojnowski stated that while he had heard about these plans months ago, new sources of confirmation have led him to take the information much more seriously.
In Chojnowski’s view, Warhorse Studios is ideally suited to create a “hypnotically beautiful” game within the Tolkien universe, thanks to their expertise in building deep atmospheres and engaging quests. While a $100 million budget might not be considered colossal by today’s industry standards, it would represent a significant influx of resources for the creators of Kingdom Come.