Following Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 developer Warhorse Studios' confirmation of all the open-world Lord of the Rings RPG rumors, a bit of a realization has hit: the fact that the team is working on a Middle-earth-based game is, well, unsurprising.
And, no, I don't mean it's unsurprising just because of the rumors that have been circulating prior to Warhorse Studios' official reveal. It's unsurprising because the dev's previous RPG, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, is downright filled to the brim with little Lord of the Rings references and Easter eggs.
A quick glance at the game's official Reddit page showcases as much, with folks noting them since the Kingdom Come sequel's release in early 2025.
[KCD2] Cool LOTR easter egg on the Guild Sword from r/kingdomcome
One year-old post notes a reference on the Guild Longsword to Andúril, the legendary sword of King Aragorn.
"Very bright was that sword when it was made whole again; the light of the sun shone redly in it, and the light of the moon shone cold, and its edge was hard and keen," reads its in-game description – a quote that's directly taken from J.R.R. Tolkien himself.
Another thread highlights a different Easter egg: Samwise Gamgee's pony.
Or, well, Lutz – the German name for Bill the Pony in The Lord of the Rings. Then, there's a more explicit reference in a scene regarding Bill and "little fellas who went barefoot" – in other words, the hobbits.
Elsewhere, a player points out that a different sword, Broken Excalibur, contains an Easter egg in its own description: "If I can reforge it, the crown of Elendil will be mine. Er, sorry, I meant to say Albion, of course."
[KCD2] LOTR Reference from r/kingdomcome
And there are plenty more Easter Eggs, too. So, there you have it – Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 truly is chock-full of Lord of the Rings references and Easter eggs, making it all the more obvious, I suppose, that Warhorse Studios wouldn't be opposed to making its own game set in Middle-earth.
I only wish we knew more about the mysterious project, aside from the fact that it's supposedly an "immersive RPG rich with details" (as one might expect) and an open-world game.
Here's hoping the Lord of the Rings game – once it does arrive, whenever that is – impresses as much as Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and its predecessor did. For once, amid all of the cancellations, I'd argue we Tolkien stans deserve a good game.
Searching for even more to look forward to? Browse through our roundup of the best new games coming this year and beyond to wishlist.
