When The Lord of the Rings fans see news floating around about an open-world game set in Middle-earth currently in development, for all the internal excitement they may feel at first, they can also be quick to dismiss it – especially if that news makes bold claims about its scope or direct comparisons to other popular open-world games. In the end, it depends on how long they have been waiting for such a game, after Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy of the early 2000s helped popularize the story and world on a more global scale and players began to want to see it all translated into something they could actually live in and interact with rather than just watch. But time has passed, and there has been no such game to speak of, though games like Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and The Lord of the Rings online has helped curb cravings.
Still, fans haven't stopped hoping for it The Lord of the Rings the game of dreams to arrive, one that finally lets them explore all of Middle-earth to their heart's content. As it turns out, they might actually be in luck, like the open world rumors The Lord of the Rings RPGs have gained more traction lately, though their lack of connection to credible sources still makes the possibility of that actually happening less likely. If those rumors turn out to be true, this could be the first time The Lord of the Rings The game actually delivers what fans have dreamed of for decades, and what they still demand to this day.
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An open world Lord of the Rings game has to happen
Rumors have circulated about an open world The Lord of the Rings RPG for months, especially since last September when a report from Insider Gaming claimed that sources close to the game told the outlet that one was in development. The same report mentioned that it would be a third-person action game designed to compete with The legacy of Hogwartsand once fans got wind of the news, it spread like wildfire on social media.
A Reddit post by No-Risk-9833 made in January, for example, includes a screenshot of a post on X that makes just that claim – that an open world The Lord of the Rings games that aim to “go beyond The legacy of Hogwarts” was in development – and it managed to get nearly 8,000 upvotes. Some users reacted with excitement, like Bazorth, who said, “I'm literally watching ROTK right now and I would 100% sink more hours into this than GTA6.” Others were more skeptical. User M1fourX, for example, would get my comments and I hope never, “but it would never be amazing,” agreed with the sentiment, saying, “Believe it when you see it.”
Rumors have circulated about an open world The Lord of the Rings RPG for months.
Despite the skepticism, this is just a sign of how much The Lord of the Rings fans have wanted an open-ended game set in Middle-earth, and how prepared they are to be disappointed if the rumors turn out to be untrue. Many of the franchise's older fans have actually been waiting 20 years or longer for something to manifest, like Reddit user West-Commission9082, who said as much in a post made earlier this year. While many users made comments pointing to The Lord of the Rings online as the perfect replacement, others, like Cheerio_Wolf, hit back at that sentiment with, “Clearly this isn't what people mean when they ask for a new open-world LOTR game,” suggesting that it's the immersive, single-player, open-world game fans have been waiting for — not an MMO.
However, other users still supported West-Commission9082's original statement of, “It's absurd that I've been waiting for an open world LOTR RPG for almost 20 years.” NoSeaworthiness2516 completely agreed, saying, “It's insane. One of the best IPs,” and VeryIntoCardboard said something similar, saying, “The world building is perfect for something like a Skyrim game.”
Monolith Productions' Middle-earth series isn't even a true replacement
Of course, even more retraction comes when this topic is brought up, with it largely revolving around Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor series. After all, both Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War is open world The Lord of the Rings game. The difference, however, is first and foremost that Midgard games are limited to Mordor, meaning players can't actually go out and explore Middle-earth. This also makes each game lean more towards the action side of the aisle than adventure, as exploration isn't about discovery as much as it is about moving between objectives within a controlled space.
Reddit user SSAUS emphasized as much when they said in the same post, “…if it's not people talking about LOTRO, it's people talking about the Shadow games, which were good, but were more action-packed and limited to Mordor.” Others in the post agreed that Shadow the games were good, but it's clear the OP wasn't willing to count them as what they were looking for. Rather, as other fans said, something more along the lines of Skyrim and still sat in The Lord of the Rings the universe is ultimately what they want.
The Rumored Lord of the Rings game is now drawing comparisons to Crimson Desert
Even more recently, the rumored open world The Lord of the Rings the game has drawn comparisons to Crimson Desertwhich makes the idea that such a game exists sound even more far-fetched. First, it apparently aimed to be better than The legacy of Hogwartsand now it claims to have a map larger than Skyrim and Red Dead Redemption 2. It could be that the massive success of Crimson Desert simply has excited fans still hoping for an open world The Lord of the Rings the game is really happening, and they got their hopes up to create a fake story that spun out of control so quickly that it actually seems believable.
But skepticism seems to be best for most fans when it comes to these claims, and a recent post by Reddit user itizturnip proves as much. While some believe it could be real, users like Cloud_N0ne have no problem pouring water on the fire. “I keep seeing these posts and yeah, it's just bull&*%,” they said. “From the AI slop shots to the 'information' they share.” User PsychicSweat agreed, saying, “These images look like AI. I'll believe it when there's a playable product.”
The rumored open world The Lord of the Rings the game has drawn comparisons to Crimson Desertwhich makes the idea that such a game exists sound even more far-fetched.
In short, it seems that the more this rumor is pushed, the less credible it becomes. Yet there probably isn't one The Lord of the Rings gamer on this earth who wouldn't jump at the chance to play an open world game The legacy of Hogwarts or Crimson Desert takes place in Middle-earth. That kind of demand isn't going anywhere, no matter how many rumors fall apart along the way. If anything, it just makes the thought of a real landing one day feel even more inevitable.
Rumors now point to Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Studio developing an Open-World LotR game
Later rumors have begun to attach a specific name to the project, and that's where things have taken a turn. In late March 2026, claims emerged that Warhorse Studios, the team behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2could work on a massive open world The Lord of the Rings RPG, with some reports even suggesting a budget around $100 million. That idea has been enough to rekindle interest almost immediately, in large part because Warhorse's reputation for realistic open worlds feels like a natural fit for Middle-earth. Meanwhile, more grounded reporting has pushed back on that claim, suggesting that Crystal Dynamics is actually the studio attached to the primary, better-acquired project, leaving Warhorse's involvement uncertain at best.
But that contradiction is really the whole story right now. On the one hand, the idea of Warhorse taking on Middle-earth is exactly the kind of scenario fans have been waiting for, which is why the rumor has spread so quickly. On the other hand, the lack of consistent reporting makes it difficult to separate what is real from what people simply want to believe. Whether it ends up being Warhorse, Crystal Dynamics, or someone else entirely, the reaction to these rumors says more than the rumors themselves. The requirement for a true open world The Lord of the Rings The game hasn't calmed down, and until something official finally steps in to fill that gap, speculation like this will always find a way to gain traction.
- Created by
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JRR Tolkien
- Where to look
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HBO Max
- movie(s)
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The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
