“Kingdom Come Deliverance II” is already a huge success

Warhorse Studios’ “Kingdom Come Deliverance II” is set to be one of the most successful games released on Steam this year.

Playing “Kingdom Come Deliverance II” can be a bewildering and challenging experience for those unfamiliar with medieval history. It is unapologetic in its willingness to force the player to problem solve, and this makes it all the more rewarding. The game places you in the shoes of Henry, a young blacksmith’s son turned soldier living in medieval Bohemia (the modern-day Czech Republic) in the year 1403, a time of social upheaval and a brewing civil war between two would-be kings.

"Henry’s journey begins in the year 1403. He is travelling through lands divided between the allies of the Czech King, Wenceslas, and those who support his brother, Sigismund, King of Hungary,” said Warhorse Studios historian Joanna Nowak during an interview with BBC History Magazine,

You will navigate this historical world of politics, war and blood-soaked revenge with nought but your wits and your Liege-Lord Sir Hans, as you try to avenge the deaths of Henry’s family and village who were massacred by an invading army, all while navigating the complexities and challenges (both moral and physical) of daily life in the Middle Ages.

This game’s critical reception thus far demonstrates that not only are classically styled single player RPGs back in vogue, but that the hunger for a game like this never truly went away.

“There’s a shining suit of mail underneath ‘Kingdom Come: Deliverance’s’ authentically medieval grime,” said IGN writer Leana Hafer. “Strong characters and storytelling, one of my favorite first-person melee combat systems ever, and special attention given to building moment-to-moment immersion come together as a mighty alloy that ranks among the most unique, memorable RPGs I’ve played in years.”

A successful first week saw a game made on a small budget of $41 million sell 1 million copies. That number doubled in the second week since its February 4, 2025, release date, bringing it up to over 2 million copies sold.

Critical and player reception has reflected the game’s high sales with almost universal praise being given to the games’ story, mechanics and performance. This is a marked contrast to “Kingdom Come Deliverance,” Warhorse’s first title, which was released with comparatively poor technical performance and to far less acclaim.

When Warhorse made the first game, they only had a small development team to attempt to fulfill their high ambitions. Now they boast a team of around 250 developers, which has helped them fully realize their original vision of a (generally) historically accurate, story driven and fully immersive action RPG.

In the modern gaming industry, there has been an increasing prevalence in the live service model of video game development. This often prioritizes long term profitability through in-game monetization methods like loot boxes, season passes, and other money sinks over a single player, polished and complete-upon-release game .“Kingdom Come Deliverance II” belongs to the latter category and feels like a breath of fresh air to a jaded fan of classic action RPGs such as “Morrowind,” “Fallout 1” and 2 and “New Vegas”. This game is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S and Microsoft Windows.

Luke Tunis is a senior majoring in Journalism with a minor in Philosophy. He is a writer for The Campus Citizen. When he isn't writing or working on schoolwork, he enjoys walks with his dog Rocket, studying politics and history, and playing classic/action RPGs.

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