Kingdom Come: Deliverance II – a Czech gaming triumph
The highly anticipated Czech video game Kingdom Come: Deliverance II has taken the gaming world by storm. Released on February 4, after just a few days the medieval RPG quickly became the best-selling game on Steam and covered its development costs within the first day of sales.
According to Martin Klíma, Executive Producer at Warhorse Studios, the company that develops the game, its immediate success is primarily due to the team's dedication to quality.
"We put a tremendous amount of effort into developing it and making it as good as possible, and I think that shows," he says. While he acknowledges that the marketing team did an excellent job promoting the game, he firmly believes that "you can't reach these kinds of numbers just through marketing or branding. The game has to be inherently worth it."
A bigger and better sequel
The sequel brings several significant improvements over its predecessor, including a larger open world, enhanced visuals, and full Czech voice acting. However, according to Klíma, the most important upgrade was the game’s technical quality.
"We spent much more time and effort ensuring that the game runs well—smoothly and with as few bugs as possible," he explains. "And we can clearly see from players' reactions that they really appreciate it. One of the most frequently mentioned aspects in reviews is how good the performance is, how well the game runs, and how smooth the overall experience feels."
Beyond technical performance, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is also praised for its stunning recreation of medieval Bohemia, particularly the Český ráj and Kutná Hora regions. Warhorse Studios invested heavily in bringing historical accuracy and realism to life, and Martin Klíma notes that achieving this level of detail was no small task.
"There’s a tricky balance between achieving the best possible visual quality while keeping the frame rate stable and the gameplay responsive. That was definitely one of the most important things we had to focus on."
Controversies and global reach
Despite its success, the game has not been without controversy. Some reports suggested that Kingdom Come: Deliverance II was banned in Saudi Arabia due to the inclusion of LGBT themes. Klíma, however, dismisses these claims.
"The game is not banned in Saudi Arabia. It’s as much 'banned' there as it is in China—which is to say, it’s not officially approved. But that’s not the same thing. No one is going to prison in Saudi Arabia for playing Kingdom Come."
While he finds the controversy frustrating, he acknowledges that cultural debates are inevitable. "People are deeply invested in these culture war issues, and journalists or influencers are happy to fan the flames for clicks. I don’t think there’s much we can do about it at this moment."
What’s next for warhorse studios?
With the game’s strong launch behind them, what’s next for Warhorse Studios? According to Klíma, the team is not slowing down. "We are working on DLCs (downloadable content) for the game. A major update will be released in 30 days, followed by another content update a month later. The first DLC is scheduled for release shortly after that, and we have three DLCs planned in total. The last one is set to come out in November this year."
For fans of Kingdom Come, this means plenty of new content to look forward to in the months ahead. With its focus on historical accuracy, immersive storytelling, and technical excellence, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II has solidified its place as one of the most successful Czech video games of all time.
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