Just days before its highly anticipated release, Kingmakers, the time-twisting medieval shooter, has been unexpectedly delayed by developer Redemption Road. This grand-scale game, which cleverly blends modern vehicles and weaponry with epic medieval battlefields, quickly became one of Steam’s most wishlisted titles. The planned October 8 launch has been canceled with no new date provided, leaving fans in suspense. However, the developers are planning a ‘half-hour-long deep dive’ to address concerns and offer a sneak peek at their progress.
In a statement, Redemption Road expressed regret, confirming, ‘After much contemplation, we realize that the scheduled Kingmakers launch on October 8 will no longer be possible.’ They offered a heartfelt apology to eager fans, explaining that the delay was a conscious choice to avoid cutting features or compromising the game’s vision. With trailers fueling intense discussions about whether it will live up to expectations, the studio is determined to ensure a flawless early-access experience.
Explaining the rationale behind the postponement, the team stated, ‘Why is Kingmakers being delayed? In short, it’s an incredibly ambitious, uncompromising game, and we don’t want to cut any planned features for the sake of getting it out of the door earlier.’ They emphasized their initial goal: to craft a game unlike anything else in terms of gameplay, scale, scope, and interactivity. The indie developer detailed their efforts to push Unreal Engine 4 to its limits, aiming for a consistent 60fps even on midrange PCs without relying on ‘fake frames.’ As an ‘80% engineering team,’ Redemption Road is committed to advancing technological boundaries, currently managing tens of thousands of AI-driven soldiers with pathfinding capabilities comparable to a AAA third-person shooter.
‘When you walk away from a battle, it continues to play out. Nothing is faked,’ Redemption Road further elaborated on the game’s ambitious scope. They highlight features like massive six-story castles with destructible environments and interactive structures like lumbermills that can become combat arenas. The physics engine is equally impressive, with detailed interactions such as car crashes resulting in driver ejection and environmental destruction. The developers emphasize the colossal scale, noting that ‘Every mission has a massive map that each player on the server is free to explore, with or without their own personal army of thousands.’ They confirm that these ambitious features, including full drop-in, drop-out four-player multiplayer, are functional. ‘We just need a bit more time on content polish before we feel good about charging money for it,’ they concluded.
The team concluded by stating, ‘So that is what we are doing now. We’re making sure everyone who buys the game is enthralled and feels like their money was well spent. We want this to be the case whether you have a top-of-the-line rig or a PC that’s seen better days. Thank you so much for all of your love and support. We hope we are doing everything we can to earn it.’ The close proximity of the delay announcement to the original launch date, coupled with the absence of a new release window, has understandably raised questions among some players. To alleviate fears of a problematic development or a situation reminiscent of other infamously troubled launches, Redemption Road has committed to a ‘half-hour gameplay deep dive’ that will be showcased ‘very soon,’ providing a thorough look at their progress. While we await more news, players might explore other medieval-themed games on PC or consider the Kingmakers system requirements. What are your thoughts on this delay? Will you wait patiently for Kingmakers, or has it shifted your focus to other titles? Share your opinions and what you’re currently playing!