Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Plaion is about to launch one of its biggest releases ever: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. The action role-playing game is on over a million wishlists on Steam alone.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II continues and concludes the story of Henry of Skalitz (Heinrich in German), a blacksmith's son from the early 15th century in the Kingdom of Bohemia, an imperial state in the Holy Roman Empire, now the Czech Republic. The game is set in the 'turmoil of civil war', pitting Henry against the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund and his allies. It's a story of revenge, betrayal and self-discovery, with different endings. According to Daniel Vávra (Game Director and Lead Writer), the script is 2.2 million words long, surpassing even the length of Baldur's Gate 3.

In two interconnected open-world maps twice the size of the previous game, players can explore a medieval Bohemian world with the famous Trosky Castle (Bohemian Paradise) and visit an urban environment of the silver mining town of Kutná Hora, with the majority of these maps consisting not only of the towns and castles, but also a large number of highly detailed and believably recreated vibrant landscapes. Like its predecessor, the new game is based on a heavily modified CryEngine from Crytek. Overall, everything is bigger and more elaborate in the second game, and the same goes for the motion and facial capture.

At its core, the game is an action role-playing experience where players can take multiple paths to quests, develop Henry in any way they choose, and immerse themselves in over five hours of cutscenes that tell the story of Henry's journey. The combat system has also been reworked to make it more accessible while remaining true to its nature, from swordplay to ranged attacks such as the newly added crossbows or early gunpowder weapons.

Combat is once again from a first-person perspective, whether on foot, on horseback or using stealth. And because Henry has learned his skills in the first game, he does not have to start from scratch in Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. All missions and objectives can be completed in a variety of ways, with NPCs and communities reacting to the player's actions. Henry also has the ability to use twice as many skills in dialogue, from Charisma to Domination and Intimidation. In addition to the main storyline, there are many side quests to complete, which in turn bring the medieval world to life. A great deal of attention has also been paid to the simulation of the game world, so that NPCs have their own regulated daily routines, making stealthy actions at night much easier. It is the proven blend of its predecessor, only bigger, more complex and more refined.

Warhorse Studios is developing the game, as it did its predecessor. The studio was founded in 2011 by industry veterans Dan Vávra (Creator of Mafia and Mafia 2) and Martin Klíma (formerly of Altar Interactive) in Prague, Czech Republic. Kingdom Come: Deliverance was Warhorse Studios' first game, initially backed by over 35,000 backers on Kickstarter before Koch Media, now Plaion, came on board as publisher and released the game under their flagship Deep Silver label. The first game was released on 13 February 2018 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with the Switch version (ported by Saber Interactive) recently released in March 2024. As of November 2024, the first game has sold over eight million copies to date. Just one year after the release of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Koch Media bought the studio for €42.8 million, including all rights to the Kingdom Come brand. The studio has grown substantially since the first instalment, from 131 full-time employees in 2018/2019 to around 250 by April 2024.

Ahead of the release, a roadmap of free updates and paid expansions has been announced to arrive throughout 2025. It will begin in the spring with updates that will bring a barber shop feature to customise the look of the player's character, a hardcore mode for those seeking a greater challenge, and horse racing. Three expansions will follow: In Summer, Henry helps an enigmatic artist with a shadowy past (Brushes with Death). In Autumn, Henry's roots are explored through the legacy of his adoptive father, Martin (Legacy of the Forge), where players work to restore a forge and test their blacksmithing skills. The third and final expansion, Mysteria Ecclesia, will be released this winter. In Sedlec Monastery, Henry must navigate the complex dynamics of the region, discovering hidden truths and navigating a maze of conflicting interests. These expansions are accompanied by a series of free quality of life updates to further enhance the gameplay experience. The Expansion Pass is included in the Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Gold Edition and the Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Collector's Edition.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II will be released on 4 February 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S and will be available in Standard, Gold and Collector's Editions. Plaion will also distribute the game in retail stores on all platforms.

Conclusion

Plaion kicks off February 2025, a month packed with big releases, in confident style with Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. This medieval action RPG is every bit as good as its strong predecessor, and even better and bigger.