$100 million Lord of the Rings game in development by Tomb Raider studio, not Warhorse Studios

Rumors began circulating yesterday about a new big Lord of the Rings game being in development by a studio under the Embracer Group, the owners of the Lord of the Rings game rights. That studio was supposedly Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 developer Warhorse Studios, but new information has surfaced suggesting otherwise.

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A new report from Insider Gaming claims that the new Lord of the Rings game, backed by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) for a whopping $100 million, isn't being developed by Warhorse Studios but by Crystal Dynamics, the studio behind the Tomb Raider games. According to sources close to the game's development, Crystal Dynamics is working on this new Lord of the Rings game alongside Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider: Catalyst.

Previous rumors indicated that this new Lord of the Rings game would be very similar to Hogwarts Legacy in terms of design, with the studio aiming to create a large, open-world action experience. Embracer was asked for comment on the recent rumors, and it responded that it doesn't comment on rumors or speculation. Crystal Dynamics was also asked to comment, but declined the offer.

Lastly, Insider Gaming asked when this new Lord of the Rings game would be released, or if a vague timeline could be provided. The source said it's still "a bit away." Given how much Crystal Dynamics is currently working on (Tomb Raider: Catalyst, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis), it would be safe to say that the new Lord of the Rings game, if it's being worked on at all by Crystal Dynamics, isn't at the top of the studio's priority list.