The developers behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 have addressed speculation around their next project, and it sounds like Lord Of The Rings is back on the menu.
The Lord Of The Rings has had a rough time in video games over recent years, with titles like Tales Of The Shire, Gollum, and Return To Moria all failing to make any kind of impact.
However, there have been several promising rumours regarding potential future games. One claimed a new third person action title based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s universe is in development at Crystal Dynamics, while Warhorse Studios, developers of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, are also rumoured to be planning a Lord Of The Rings project.
It’s unclear whether either of these are true, but based on a recent Reddit Q&A held by Warhorse, the team haven’t exactly ruled it out.
When one fan asked about the rumoured Lord Of The Rings game, Warhorse community manager Tom Grey replied: ‘Obviously we can’t comment on future projects, at least not until we’re in the future (but if you have a time machine, please show us!).’
In a separate post which brought up the same rumour, Warhorse content director, Ondřej Bittner, was even more coy, but confirmed their next game is another role-player.
Expert, exclusive gaming analysis
Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning.
‘Voilá there is a response!’ Bittner responded, after the commenter doubted they would reply. ‘But unfortunately not the one you hope for. We are hard at work on … something. I cannot disclose details but I can tell it is a huge, immersive RPG [sic].’
This is obviously not confirmation, but you’d think Warhorse would deny the rumours outright to manage expectations if it wasn’t making a Lord Of The Rings game. As such, it’s hard not to infer that they possibly are.
However, Bittner did give a similar reply when asked if there’s any plans for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 3, so it’s difficult to know what to think. ‘There are plans in motion,’ he replied. ‘Plans for immersive RPG. Hope that eases your mind :).’
Based on the world and comprehensive systems in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, a Lord Of The Rings game by the same team is a pretty enticing prospect.
You’d think they would want a break from Kingdom Come too, but the sequel has sold over 5 million copies as of February this year, so there’s a financial incentive to stick with the franchise.
Beyond new games, there have also been rumours of ports for old Lord Of The Rings titles, including 2011’s War In The North, although that’s not yet come to pass.
Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter.
To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here.
For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.