Kingmakers medieval shooter delayed indefinitely just before launch
▼ Summary
– Kingmakers has been delayed indefinitely from its original October 8th release date.
– The developers cited the game’s ambitious scope and unwillingness to cut planned features as the reason for the delay.
– The game aims to run at a true 60 frames per second on midrange PCs without using fake frames.
– It features large-scale battles with tens of thousands of soldiers and fully destructible, explorable environments with multiplayer support.
– The delay was announced less than a week before the planned release, surprising many due to its proximity.
Many gamers who saw the explosive Kingmakers trailer last year likely marked their calendars for its planned October 8th release. Unfortunately, developer Redemption Road has now announced an indefinite delay, pulling the ambitious medieval-meets-modern shooter from its launch just days before it was scheduled to arrive.
In a recent Steam news update, the studio apologized for the postponement, explaining the reasoning behind the difficult choice. The post stated that the game is an exceptionally ambitious project, and the team refuses to compromise on its vision by cutting planned features simply to meet the original deadline. Redemption Road highlighted that its development team consists of 80% engineers, underscoring a technical focus. A core goal has been ensuring the game runs at a native 60 frames per second on mid-range PCs, a performance target they are committed to achieving without relying on AI-generated or “fake” frames.
The developer elaborated on the immense technical challenges that contribute to the delay. Battles are designed to feature tens of thousands of soldiers clashing on screen simultaneously. The game includes enormous, six-story castles where players can enter every single room and destroy every structural component, including walls, floors, and ceilings. Each mission unfolds on a massive, shared map where every player on the server can freely explore, either alone or while commanding a personal army numbering in the thousands. Redemption Road confirmed they have successfully implemented all these complex systems, along with full drop-in/drop-out four-player multiplayer support. However, they feel they need additional time for content polish before they are comfortable asking players to pay for the experience.
Given that this is an indefinite delay, the developer provided no new estimated release window. A postponement occurring less than a week before launch is notably unusual and highlights significant last-minute hurdles. When considering the game’s sheer scope, however, the delay becomes more understandable. The gameplay showcases a staggering number of NPCs, the chaotic inclusion of anachronistic elements like assault rifles and armored vehicles, and extensive building mechanics. With so many complex, moving parts, the developers certainly have their work cut out for them as they push toward a final, polished product.
(Source: Rock Papers Shotgun)
