New The Lord of the Rings games: Everything we know so far

A new Middle-Earth game has been confirmed to be in the works with its aim understood to be to rival the success of Hogwarts Legacy and there have been new claims about that and a separate The Lord of the Rings title from someone understood to have insider information.

The Lord of the Rings games have been going for decades and there have been loads of brilliant entries in the past, such as the iconic The Return of the King in 2003, MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online in 2007 and more recently the Middle-Earth games in the 2010s.

There arguably hasn't been a good The Lord of the Rings game since Middle-Earth: Shadow of War released in 2017 though with newer titles such as The Lord of the Rings: Gollum and Tales of the Shire not really living up to expectations.

Here's a look at everything we know so far about a new The Lord of the Rings game.

There arguably hasn't been a good The Lord of the Rings game since Middle-Earth: Shadow of War in 2017 Monolith Productions, Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment

What has been announced about The Lord of the Rings games?

Warhorse Studios has confirmed it is working on a new "open-world Middle-Earth RPG".

A social media post said: "You might have heard the rumours, it's time to reveal what we are working on. We're excited to tell you more when the time is right."

During a community stream, a developer shared official updates about the game. Although the stream was focused on Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, details about the Middle-Earth RPG were also shared.

Tobias Stolz-Zwilling, Warhorse communications director said (via TechRadar): "We have a completely mind-blowing ready team to delve into what this universe has to offer and this is, again, an absolute passion project.

"[It's] deeply immersive, it will be a living world. There will be interesting characters, memorable places and of course a strong narrative focus."

Speaking more generally, Stolz-Zwilling added: "No matter which world we are working on, you can absolutely trust us and believe we will build the games in a very specific Warhorse way. We pledged to that, this is our oath.

"I said in one interview with someone at Gamescom that we want to become the new kings of RPGs. I still stand by that. I know it's a bit 'haha' and nosy but I really stand by that."

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Warhorse is owned by Embracer Group, which currently owns The Lord of the Rings IP.

A recent report from Insider Gaming claimed another The Lord of the Rings game could actually be in the works at Crystal Dynamics, which is also developing the two new Tomb Raider games (Legacy of Atlantis and Catalyst).

At the time, it said its sources indicated Warhorse could be working on a different The Lord of the Rings game but its reporting was not in reference to this specific title.

Insider Gaming said it approached Embracer for comment on those claims and it said it does not comment on rumours or speculation. Crystal Dynamics did not want to comment.

Since then, someone understood to have insider information has made new claims about both titles.

Redditor bertik11, "the same person who previously leaked that the Kingdom Come: Deliverance 1 upgrade would be free", said the speculated The Lord of the Rings game "could reportedly move into full production relatively soon".

Moving onto the Warhorse Studios "Kingdom Come: Deliverance spin-off", bertik11 added: "According to my source, the game is already undergoing testing, and it's apparently targeting a release in the first half of 2027.

"I want to emphasise that these are just small pieces of information I've heard through my sources. I can't independently verify every detail, so please take everything with a grain of salt."

As bertik11 said, none of this has been officially confirmed and remains speculation until anything official is announced.

When could a new The Lord of the Rings game release?

There is no indication yet of a release date for a new The Lord of the Rings game. If bertik11's claims prove to be true, Warhorse Studios' Middle-Earth RPG could release "in the first half of 2027".

What platforms could the new The Lord of the Rings games release on?

This depends on when it releases but at present, Warhorse Studios' Middle-Earth game would likely release on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC with a potential Nintendo Switch 2 release too.

The Lord of the Rings speculated title could release on next-gen consoles such as the PS6 and XBOX Project Helix.

Elsewhere from indy100:

• New The Lord of the Rings games updates including release date from insider
• New Lord of the Rings game could be happening - fans have their say

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