Development History

4:07 Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was made by Warhorse Studios, the Prague studio that Daniel Vávra and Martin Klíma founded in 2011, over about six years, per Vávra, with Vávra as writer and director and a team that had grown to about 250 people by May 2024. It runs on CryEngine under license from Crytek, was published by Deep Silver, a division of PLAION within Embracer Group, and was revealed on Apr 18, 2024 before its release on Feb 4, 2025. Warhorse has never published an exact budget: its CEO, Martin Frývaldský, put the cost at "high hundreds of millions of Czech crowns" in a CzechCrunch interview. This page covers the studio, the people, the engine, the writing and research, the marketing and what came after launch; the dates alone are on Release History.

Quick facts

Warhorse Studios and its owners

7:16 Warhorse Studios was founded in Prague in 2011 by Daniel Vávra and Martin Klíma, per PLAION's launch release. The studio describes its start as "a small, risk-taking indie collective", and content director Ondřej Bittner recalls that its Kickstarter pitch promised "dungeons but no dragons" (Warhorse, Feb 2026). That campaign, in 2014, asked for £300,000 and raised over £1.1 million, and the game it funded, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, came out on Feb 13, 2018. How the two games compare is on Differences from the First Game.

The first game's success made the studio a purchase. Koch Media, an indirect subsidiary of THQ Nordic (now Embracer Group), agreed to buy Warhorse on Feb 13, 2019 for a preliminary 42.8 million euros, including all rights to Kingdom Come: Deliverance; the same release gives Warhorse's 2018 net revenues as about 42 million euros. Koch Media was later renamed PLAION, whose division Deep Silver published the sequel (PLAION).

Embracer is now splitting off the division that holds Kingdom Come. Its premium IP division, Fellowship Entertainment, home of Kingdom Come and The Lord of the Rings, is to become a separate company listed on Nasdaq Stockholm, "progressing toward" calendar year 2027, per Embracer's Aug 13, 2026 report.

The people who made it

Daniel Vávra wrote and directed Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and Warhorse's own posts call him its creative director (Warhorse). In an April 2025 interview with The Game Business, he described AAA publishers as "so afraid about the potential risks" and named story as "where a lot of games today fail".

Martin Klíma, the other co-founder, is Warhorse's executive producer; he described the job to Smilegate's newsroom as managing a project "so that it's completed on time and within budget". Martin Frývaldský has run the studio as CEO, eleven years as of May 2024 (CzechCrunch).

Other names the public met before launch came from the dev streams. PR manager Tobias Stolz-Zwilling hosted all four, with Art Director Viktor Höschl on the first and Design Lead Prokop Jirsa on the other three (Warhorse); Jirsa and Stolz-Zwilling later accepted the BAFTA for Narrative (Warhorse).

Team size, time and cost

1:53 The sequel took about twice the people of the first game. Frývaldský told CzechCrunch in May 2024 that the first game peaked at about 130 people and the sequel had about 250, and that it would take "about ten thousand person-months". In Feb 2026 Warhorse said the studio was "almost up to 300 people". Vávra puts the development time at six years.

No exact budget has been published. Frývaldský said the cost was "vysoké stovky milionů korun" (high hundreds of millions of Czech crowns), more than any Czech film project and comparable to a mid-budget Hollywood film or a whole Netflix series (CzechCrunch). A figure of about 1 billion crowns, roughly $41 million, has been attributed to a Vávra interview with Seznam Zprávy; Stolz-Zwilling later called $41 million "not completely wrong" without confirming it, as TwistedVoxel reported. Treat it as unconfirmed.

Frývaldský explained where the extra money went. He attributed the higher cost over the first game to far more outsourcing and testing, since the first game was criticized for launch bugs, and to inflation (CzechCrunch).

Engine and technology

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 runs on CryEngine, licensed from Crytek, as Deep Silver's product page states; the Steam legal line credits software "© 2019-2025 Crytek GmbH" (Steam). The official modding tools, released with Patch 1.2, include Editor.exe, which Deep Silver describes as "our build of the CryEngine Sandbox"; see Mods and Modding Tools.

Console frame rates changed between promise and release. In June 2024 Martin Klíma said every console version would run at 30 fps, as Game Rant reported; when the game went gold on Dec 4, 2024, Warhorse announced quality and performance modes for PS5 and Xbox Series X and PS5 Pro enhancement (RPG Site). The modes are on PC Requirements and Performance.

Writing, research and performance

6:34 The script is the game's longest single piece of work. Warhorse's X account said it runs to "over 2.2 million words", against about 800,000 for the first game, and Vávra said that "as far as I know" it is the longest game script ever, Baldur's Gate 3 included (GamingBolt). PLAION's reveal promised over five hours of cutscenes.

Warhorse built the setting with a historical consultant. Joanna Nowak and senior game designer Ondřej Bittner described research into town laws, folk songs and archaeology in a Nov 2024 post, and Stolz-Zwilling told Game Rant that recreating Kuttenberg as it looked in 1403 was the studio's biggest challenge, worked out with the town's archives, museums and universities. Warhorse says the city is "some ten times larger" than Rattay, the first game's nearest equivalent (Warhorse). See Historical Background and Kuttenberg.

1:38 The lead performance took years of sessions. Tom McKay, who plays Henry of Skalitz, recorded 508 hours of dialogue over 127 sessions, per GamesRadar+. For the fighting, Warhorse made blunt and edged weapons more distinct and motion-captured the animations with actors chosen for each weapon type (Warhorse). The cast and the score are on Voice Cast and Music.

Announcement and marketing

0:13 The reveal leaked hours early. A trailer surfaced as an ad on IGN's website, confirming the title and a 2024 window (VGC), before Warhorse and Deep Silver revealed the game at a digital event on Apr 18, 2024 at 20:15 CEST. The video ran about 13 minutes and was narrated by Tom McKay and Luke Dale (God is a Geek), under the motto "Audentes fortuna iuvat!" (Fortune favors the brave).

24:57 The 2024 window did not hold. On Aug 15, 2024 Warhorse moved the game to Feb 11, 2025, with Stolz-Zwilling saying the team "almost made it" but wanted time for finishing touches. Gamescom followed: a trailer at Opening Night Live, a playable demo and a Collector's Edition reveal (Insider Gaming), a 20-plus-minute gameplay showcase, and pre-orders from Aug 21, 2024.

0:14 The last months before launch were built around the city of Kutná Hora. A scripted live-action series sent McKay and Dale around today's Kuttenberg in modern dress, in four episodes from Nov 7, 2024 to Feb 17, 2025, written and directed by Vítek Mičke with Vávra playing himself (Warhorse). The Official Story Trailer premiered on Dec 6, 2024, and the Official CGI Trailer, made with Platige, on Jan 30, 2025.

The game then came out a week early. On Dec 4, 2024 Warhorse moved release up to Feb 4, 2025; the same day it said the game had gone gold and passed 1 million Steam wishlists. Its post-launch roadmap of free updates and three story expansions followed on Jan 22, 2025, and a "Blue Carpet" launch party was streamed on Feb 3, 2025.

Launch and after

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 launched on Feb 4, 2025, "almost seven years to the day" after the first game, per PLAION, and sold 1 million copies in its first 24 hours. Sales, scores and awards are on Reception and Awards.

The launch made Warhorse's best year. In the fiscal year from Apr 2024 to Mar 2025 the studio reported revenue of 2.7 billion crowns and a profit of about 1 billion, the best in its history, against about 1 billion in revenue in the first game's release year (CzechCrunch). The following year brought 1.9 billion crowns in revenue and a net profit of 733 million, its second best (CzechCrunch).

Support continued for more than a year. Patch 1.2 on Mar 13, 2025 brought over a thousand fixes, the barber and official modding; Hardcore Mode followed in April; and three story expansions came out between May and Nov 2025, the last called "the third and final DLC" by Warhorse. See Patches and Updates and DLC and Expansion Pass. A Switch 2 Royal Edition is announced for 2027, with no date or price.

Next projects

Warhorse started on new games soon after launch: its annual report says work on further titles began in January 2025. On May 20, 2026 it confirmed "an open world Middle-earth RPG" and "a new Kingdom Come adventure", both early, with no dates or platforms. Embracer expects "the next game in the Kingdom Come franchise" in its fiscal year 2027/28, Apr 2027 to Mar 2028 (Embracer). Neither company has said whether it is a direct sequel.

Frequently asked questions

Who made Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2? Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was made by Warhorse Studios in Prague and published by Deep Silver, a division of PLAION within Embracer Group. Daniel Vávra wrote and directed it (Warhorse).

How much did Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 cost to make? Warhorse has not published an exact budget for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2; CEO Martin Frývaldský said only "high hundreds of millions of Czech crowns" (CzechCrunch). A figure of about $41 million has been reported but not confirmed (TwistedVoxel).

What engine does Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 use? Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 uses CryEngine, licensed from Crytek, per Deep Silver. Its modding tools include Warhorse's build of the CryEngine Sandbox editor.

How long was Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 in development? Daniel Vávra says Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 took about six years to make. It was revealed on Apr 18, 2024 and released on Feb 4, 2025, after a delay from 2024.

How many people worked on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2? About 250 people were working on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 in May 2024, against a peak of about 130 on the first game (CzechCrunch). Warhorse said in Feb 2026 that the studio was almost up to 300.

Is Kingdom Come: Deliverance 3 confirmed? Warhorse confirmed "a new Kingdom Come adventure" on May 20, 2026 and Embracer expects it between Apr 2027 and Mar 2028, but neither has called it Kingdom Come: Deliverance 3 or said whether it is a direct sequel.

Who owns Warhorse Studios? Warhorse Studios has belonged to Embracer Group since Koch Media (now PLAION) agreed to buy it on Feb 13, 2019. Embracer is spinning off Fellowship Entertainment, which holds Kingdom Come, as a separate listed company.

Sources

• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II coming 2024, PLAION, Apr 18, 2024
• The wait is over, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is here, PLAION, Feb 4, 2025
• Patched, primped, ready to mod, PLAION, Mar 14, 2025
• appdetails, app 1771300, Steam Store API, read Oct 25, 2026
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Deep Silver, read Oct 25, 2026
• Modding in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Deep Silver, Mar 14, 2025
• Bohemia Is Going Portable, Deep Silver, Sep 8, 2026
• The Warhorse Journey: from "Dungeons no dragons" to 10 Million Copies, Warhorse Studios on Steam, Feb 16, 2026
• Watch our third Official Live Action today, Warhorse Studios on Steam, Jan 17, 2025
• Watch our last Official Live Action, Warhorse Studios on Steam, Feb 17, 2025
• Watch our Official Live Action today, Warhorse Studios on Steam, Nov 7, 2024
• Catch-up on our first two Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Dev Streams!, Warhorse Studios on Steam, Dec 23, 2024
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II - Exploring Bohemia, Warhorse Studios on Steam, Nov 29, 2024
• Kuttenberg: A Medieval Metropolis, Warhorse Studios on Steam, Dec 13, 2024
• Weapons and combat mechanics, Warhorse Studios on Steam, Oct 18, 2024
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II - Pre-order NOW!, Warhorse Studios on Steam, Aug 21, 2024
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Official Story Trailer, Warhorse Studios on Steam, Dec 6, 2024
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II - New Release Date!, Warhorse Studios on Steam, Dec 4, 2024
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II - Post-Launch Roadmap, Warhorse Studios on Steam, Jan 22, 2025
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II - Official CGI Trailer, Warhorse Studios on Steam, Jan 30, 2025
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II - Blue Carpet Livestream, Warhorse Studios on Steam, Feb 7, 2025
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II - One Million Copies Sold!, Warhorse Studios on Steam, Feb 5, 2025
• Join tomorrow's Devstream - Mysteria Ecclesiae DLC reveal!, Warhorse Studios on Steam, Nov 5, 2025
• KCD2 wins Best Narrative at the 2026 BAFTA Games Awards, Warhorse Studios on Steam, Apr 20, 2026
• THQ Nordic acquires award-winning Warhorse Studios, Embracer Group, Feb 13, 2019
• Interim Report Q1 FY 26/27, Embracer Group, Aug 13, 2026
• Kingdom Come 2 stálo jako hollywoodský film nebo seriál Netflixu, CzechCrunch (Michal Mančař), May 14, 2024
• Miliardový zisk pro český středověk, CzechCrunch (Michal Mančař), Oct 8, 2025
• Na českém středověku vydělali skoro dvě miliardy, CzechCrunch (Michal Mančař), Oct 1, 2026
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 director interview, The Game Business (Christopher Dring), Apr 22, 2025
• Why has the Czech historical game "Kingdom Come" captured the hearts of players worldwide?, Smilegate Newsroom, Aug 28, 2026
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Had A Development Budget Of Close To $41 Million, TwistedVoxel (Muhammad Ali Bari), Feb 27, 2025
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Has Over 2.2 Million Words in its Script, GamingBolt (Joelle Daniels), Jan 14, 2025
• The actor behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's main character recorded 508 hours of dialogue over 127 sessions, GamesRadar+, read Oct 25, 2026
• Interview: Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Dev Talks Kuttenberg's History, Game Rant (Josh Cotts), Jan 31, 2025
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Confirms Frame Rate, Performance Details, Game Rant (Dominik Bošnjak), Jun 2, 2024
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II bumps up its release date to February 4, 2025, RPG Site (Mikhail Madnani), Dec 4, 2024
• Warhorse Studios is working on an open world Middle-earth RPG and a new Kingdom Come adventure, RPG Site, May 20, 2026
• Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 arriving in 2024, according to leaked trailer, VGC, Apr 2024
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II announced, and it's coming this year, God is a Geek, Apr 18, 2024
• Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 delayed to February 2025 ahead of Gamescom blowout, Push Square, Aug 15, 2024
• Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 delayed to February 2025, Gamescom plans revealed, Insider Gaming, Aug 15, 2024
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance, an interview with Daniel Vávra, 80 Level, 2018
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Official Game Reveal, Warhorse Studios, Apr 18, 2024 (video)
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Official Live Action - The Last Day at Warhorse, Warhorse Studios, Feb 14, 2025 (video)
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Making of: Game Reveal, Warhorse Studios, Jun 4, 2024 (video)
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Making of: Announce Trailer, Warhorse Studios, May 21, 2024 (video)
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Official Gameplay Showcase, Warhorse Studios, Aug 21, 2024 (video)
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Official Live Action - Kuttenberg, Warhorse Studios, Nov 7, 2024 (video)