The Quest for the Ultimate Open-World Lord of the Rings RPG Begins!

Warhorse Studios seems like an ideal candidate for a Lord of the Rings game, yet there are mixed signals about what they’re actually working on next. Meanwhile, whispers from Disney suggest they might be eyeing a purchase of Epic, but it’s hard to imagine Tim Sweeney ever stepping back into a subordinate role. The studio behind Disco Elysium is set to release their next title in May, but has the surrounding drama dampened enthusiasm?

The latest update for March 31, 2026, raises several questions, particularly regarding potential layoffs as the fiscal quarter wraps up. One question that’s been answered is the release date for R-Type Tactics I • II Cosmos.

NIS America announced today that, after numerous delays, the remasters of the PSP-era strategy games will finally launch on June 18. The originals suffered from long load times and repetitive animations, but with new hardware and a fast-forward option, those issues should be a thing of the past.

Two competing rumors are making the rounds. The first is particularly intriguing. A Polish game industry veteran, Ryszard Chojnowski, recently claimed on a podcast that a “credible” source at the studio indicated that the Kingdom Come team is developing a Lord of the Rings game. This follows a report that parent company Embracer, which holds the license, secured $100 million in funding for an open-world LotR project.

The studio has already confirmed it’s working on a new RPG that follows the expansive, narrative-driven, open-world style established with the Kingdom Come series. This could either be Kingdom Come 3 or an entirely new fantasy IP unrelated to Lord of the Rings, as another rumor suggests. There’s definitely room for someone to create a Hogwarts Legacy-style adaptation, but with industry cuts, the pool of studios capable of taking on such a project is shrinking.

Tech reporter Alex Heath recently shared insights on a podcast, noting that Disney has invested $1.5 billion into the Fortnite engine, with the new CEO aiming to enhance exclusive events and content for the battle royale-turned-metaverse. Acquiring Epic outright could be a smart move for an entertainment company looking to strengthen its presence in gaming and tech, but it’s hard to envision CEO Tim Sweeney relinquishing control.

An email announcement indicated that due to rising storage component costs, prices for many Ayaneo products will soon increase. Additionally, some models may be temporarily discontinued once current stock runs out.

The latest update for friendslop, titled Play It Your Way, allows players to customize missions with various modifiers. One of the new modes, “Grapple Mode (Stupid),” gives players access to rescue claws with unlimited uses. If you found Peak too challenging or not chaotic enough, Aggro Crab has you covered.

The survival game first hit Steam Early Access in 2014, with its initial story chapters launching in 2017. Now, over a decade later, the final fifth chapter is set to release later today. Studio head Raphael van Lierop remarked, “The end of Wintermute and the completion of Episode Five is the end of an era for Hinterland. Finally, we will be able to talk more freely about our plans and ambitions for the future. Some of those plans relate to ongoing TLD development. Some of those plans relate to our work on Blackfrost. Some of those plans relate to other unannounced projects.”

Zero Parades For Dead Spies, a new espionage thriller RPG from ZAUM, is set to launch on PC on May 21. It sounds promising but comes with the baggage of one of the most tumultuous indie gaming breakups in recent memory.