As 2025 gets close to its end and Warhorse Studios has released the last bit of planned DLC for its open-world RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, the studio has now revealed some details about the development of the game. In an interview with GamesRadar, lead designer Prokop Jirsa spoke about getting negative feedback during playtests, and how the studio had to stand firm with its game design decisions to ensure that player actions would have consequences.
“We had playtests where some players started a game, did something wrong, immediately got arrested, and gave negative feedback,” said Jirsa. “We had the strength to say, ‘Yes, that’s what we want.'” He went on to note that the studio wanted players to feel weak when they first start their journey in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. This, he said, also helped bolster the feeling of accomplishment since players would have to work at getting stronger.
“We want the player at the beginning to feel extremely weak,” he explained, “because then the validation of gaining strength feels earned.”
While many studios might find it difficult to stand their ground against negative feedback during playtests, the success that Warhorse Studios had seen with the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance from back in 2018 helped its confidence in this regard. This, Jirsa said, was “even though there were many discussions [asking] ‘Are we really going the right way? Are we really into these survival elements, do we really want to take everything from the player at the beginning? Even their place to sleep?”
This idea to let players engage with difficult games was inspired by FromSoftware’s games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring, which Jirsa noted played a big role in making what would have otherwise been niche games get mainstream appeal. “I honestly believe there’s big potential for original ideas that, if they were given a chance to be polished, could reach mainstream,” Jirsa said.
The studio has since proven that it has been justified in presenting these tough challenges to players. It announced back in November that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 had sold 4 million copies following the release of the final DLC of the game’s season pass, Mysteria Ecclesiae. Taking to social media, Warhorse Studios thanked players for their support.
“We can’t thank you enough for helping us reach this incredible milestone,” wrote the studio. “Every one of you – players, fans, modders, creators, and long-time supporters – made this possible.”
Alongside the release of Mysteria Ecclesiae, Warhorse Studios also launched Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 – Royal Edition, which includes the base game, as well as all four DLCs, including the three story DLCs Brushes With Death, Legacy of the Forge, and Mysteria Ecclesiae. Along with this, other smaller DLCs like The Lion’s Crest and Gallant Huntsman’s Kit are also included.
For more on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, check out our review. The title is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Also check out our review of its newest DLC, Mysteria Ecclesiae, where we gave it a score of 8 out of 10.
