For years, Bethesda has been the undisputed champion of RPGs, but I think Warhorse Studios, the team behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance, is seriously challenging that title. Their communications director, Tobias Stolz-Zwilling, has even said they want to be the new RPG kings! They’re still pretty humble about it, admitting they aren’t quite there yet, but honestly, I think they already make a better open-world RPG than Bethesda. And I have a feeling a lot more people will agree once their Lord of the Rings game comes out – I’m really excited about it!
While Bethesda remains the go-to studio for immersive, open-world RPGs – thanks to massive hits like Skyrim which sold over 60 million copies by 2023, and even the popular Starfield with over 15 million players – another studio is poised to challenge their dominance. Warhorse Studios has already demonstrated its ability to create excellent RPGs, and now they’re applying their successful approach to a game set in the incredibly popular Lord of the Rings universe. This combination of a proven formula and a beloved world could be enough to propel Warhorse into the mainstream RPG market currently led by Bethesda.
Kingdom Come Already Proved Warhorse Can Make a Great RPG
I used to think labeling a game as an “RPG” if it just had some RPG features was fine, but playing both Kingdom Come: Deliverance games changed my mind. I now think it’s a bit misleading. Games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and newer Assassin’s Creed titles are great, but they’re really action-adventure games that include RPG elements, not true RPGs. While Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 rightfully won Game of the Year, I believe Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 deserved the Best RPG award instead.
Who’s That Character? 
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Results
High Score: 0 —
My view on this comes down to what really defines a role-playing game, and how Warhorse Studios sees it. A true RPG isn’t just about leveling up or collecting items – many modern games have those features. What really matters is freedom. Players should be able to significantly shape their character, impact the story, change the world around them, and influence how quests are resolved. If a game doesn’t offer that level of choice, you’re not truly playing a role; you’re just guiding a character through a pre-written story with limited options.
Warhorse has demonstrated a strong understanding of player agency in its Kingdom Come games. Players have significant freedom to make choices that truly matter, impacting the story’s outcomes and Henry’s development. Your relationships, reputation, and even Henry’s abilities aren’t predetermined – they evolve based on how you play and the decisions you make. Unlike many games, Henry’s skills improve through practice, not just by allocating points.
A real role-playing game lets players significantly influence not only their character’s development, but also the game’s story and world itself – going beyond simple level-ups and skill improvements.
Beyond its main story, Kingdom Come features a huge, detailed open world full of things to do and discover. Exploring feels like venturing through a real place, not just a game environment. The characters react to your actions – they’ll even comment on Henry’s hygiene if you neglect him! The game takes crime seriously; stealing or trespassing can have consequences, unlike in many other RPGs. And the world feels truly alive even when you’re not directly interacting with it, with details that suggest life continues on its own, adding to the immersive experience.
Warhorse Studios seems like a perfect fit to create an open-world RPG set in Lord of the Rings. They’ve demonstrated a deep understanding of what makes these kinds of games truly immersive – building worlds that aren’t just big, but feel alive and respond to player choices in meaningful ways. This is why their Lord of the Rings game could be a serious challenge to Bethesda. If they can recreate that same level of detail and interactivity within the beloved world of Middle-earth, they might have everything they need – a strong formula and a built-in fanbase – to become a major competitor in the genre.
Warhorse’s Lord of the Rings Game Could Push It Into Bethesda Territory
While Warhorse Studios makes excellent open-world RPGs, beating Bethesda won’t be easy – if skill alone were enough, they’d have already surpassed the creators of The Elder Scrolls. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was a significant success, and in many people’s opinion, Warhorse could already be considered a leader in the RPG genre. However, the Kingdom Come games appeal to a specific audience. They’re known for being challenging, not necessarily because they demand incredible skill, but because they don’t offer much guidance and require players to invest time and effort to learn the ropes.
Warhorse has demonstrated a strong grasp of open-world RPG design, exceeding the typical focus on character progression seen in many other games of the genre.
Warhorse’s new Lord of the Rings RPG has the potential to significantly broaden the studio’s audience, even reaching players who weren’t interested in their Kingdom Come: Deliverance games. The initial reaction to the announcement proves this – the Lord of the Rings game is generating far more excitement than the news about another Kingdom Come adventure. This is because The Lord of the Rings is a much more widely known and loved franchise, and many gamers have been hoping for an expansive, open-world game set in Middle-earth – exactly the type of game Warhorse seems poised to deliver.
Warhorse Studios is now receiving a lot of attention, not just because of their previous game, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, but because they’re developing a large-scale, open-world RPG based on The Lord of the Rings. The massive popularity of Tolkien’s world guarantees significant interest in their upcoming game. If it lives up to expectations, it could establish Warhorse as a leading RPG developer, potentially surpassing Bethesda as the genre’s dominant force.
Right now, the biggest question is when The Elder Scrolls 6 will be released. Given how long Bethesda has been developing it, it’s probably going to come out before Warhorse finishes its Lord of the Rings game. If that happens – and it most likely will – and The Elder Scrolls 6 successfully innovates the series while meeting fan expectations, the Lord of the Rings RPG could be unfairly judged in comparison. However, Lord of the Rings fans have waited a long time for an open-world game in Tolkien’s world, giving Warhorse a strong advantage that even a major company like Bethesda can’t easily overcome.
Read More
- NTE Drift Guide (& Best Car Mods for Drifting)
- All Aswang Evidence & Weaknesses in Phasmophobia
- Diablo 4 Best Loot Filter Codes
- Conduit Crystal Location In Subnautica 2
- Where to Find Prescription in Where Winds Meet (Raw Leaf Porridge Quest)
- Forza Horizon 6: Find the Ohtani Treasure Chest Location
- Boruto: Ikemoto Has Already Hinted At Sasuke’s New Eye After Return
- Best Burst & Full Auto Builds for the M16A4 in BF6
- Deltarune Chapter 1 100% Walkthrough: Complete Guide to Secrets and Bosses
- Brent Oil Forecast
2026-05-23 12:05