Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was one of the best games of 2025, and since launch there have been three DLCs that expand what players can do in Bohemia. While not necessary additions to the main story, these expansions add a little extra spice Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2and its predecessor took a similar approach with DLC. Now that Kingdom Come 3 is confirmed, but Warhorse Studios needs to rethink this approach with some gameplay mechanics.
What each Kingdom Come The DLC is centered around is very different, but the first and second games both have expansions that add extra RPG elements to the experience that should have been there from the start. The Legacy of the Forge DLC flips Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 to a blacksmith simulator with base customization, while From the Ashes brought a settlement-building side activity to the first game. Life sim-focused expansions aren't for every player, but this kind of feature needs to be there from the start Kingdom Come 3.
Kingdom Come 3 needs to stop hiding fun RPG elements behind a paywall
Expansions like Legacy of the Forge and From the Ashes may not be essential to getting through the main story, but they both give players great side activities that are easy to spend hours on. Added features like forging turn fast Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 to a cozy life sim. Of course, many players will be more interested in following the main quests, but having the opportunity to slow down and enjoy a simpler side of medieval life is a nice break.
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For Warhorse Studios to take such pride in Kingdom Come's Immersion is a strange move to leave out Life Sim features
One of the reasons why Kingdom Come The series has made such waves in the industry is because of its incurable realism. The first game was a strong start, but Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 raised the bar in a big way, making it one of the best medieval life sims that players can dive into. RPG-focused expansions like From the Ashes and Legacy of the Forge only add to the experience, so it's a wonder Warhorse Studios didn't make them side activities automatically built into the fabric of the game.
The base building that these DLCs offer is something that a large subset of players appreciate. Keeping it behind a paywall post-launch is frustrating, as there are plenty of fans willing to spend hours with this type of mechanic from scratch, especially for a game that's all about immersion and choosing how to live in a medieval world. There really aren't any bigger ones Kingdom Come 3 details for now, but Warhorse Studios hopefully uses this new chapter as a moment to rethink how DLC is handled.
The Kingdom Come franchise's RPG-focused expansions have received mixed reviews, making the continuation of DLC feel pointless
Legacy of the Forge and From the Ashes have fared well when it comes to many critics' reviews, but players haven't always been happy with them. Reviews on platforms like Steam can be more mixed. This is of course subjective, but going to great lengths to offer a set of new mechanics as DLC only to have it underperform isn't the right move. If all this work is going to be used to create these features, it makes more sense to include it in the base game for players to discover along the way and choose whether or not to spend time with it.
Kingdom Come 3 has the potential to shake up the series
When Warhorse Studios announced a new Kingdom Come game, the team was careful not to mention the “Deliverance” part of the title that has been present in the last two titles. Instead, Warhorse Studios specifically called it a “new Kingdom Come adventure.” It's too early to say for sure what this specific choice of words means, but it could lay the groundwork for a game that proves to be an interesting departure from the last two.
Life sim-focused expansions aren't for every player, but this kind of feature needs to be there from the start Kingdom Come 3.
The obvious alternative is that it is one Kingdom Come games that don't follow Henry. A spin-off would make sense, especially given the fast timeline Warhorse Studios is working with. Kingdom Come 3s release date hasn't been revealed yet, but it's at least confirmed that the developer is looking at its fiscal year of 2027. This could place the game anywhere between Spring 2027 and Spring 2028. That's an incredibly quick turnaround between entries, so this makes me predict a smaller game compared to Kingdom Come: Deliverance titled.
If Kingdom Come 3 really is a minor entry, it could be a good testing ground for adding life sim elements to the game from scratch instead of using them for DLC content. Forging and base building mechanics can add hours of side content that would make a smaller game feel more worth the time and money. A downtrodden Kingdom Come experience has the potential to disappoint some fans who want more of the series' massive world, but robust side hobbies are a solid way to make a smaller game feel bigger than it might appear on the surface.
Kingdom Come 3 isn't the only project Warhorse Studios has going on. The studio also works with an open world The Lord of the Rings RPG. Details about this project are still being kept under wraps, but Warhorse Studios is a great choice to bring this type of game to life.
Waiting to see what Warhorse Studios will do next Kingdom Come The project has now officially started. There are a surprising number of cozy features in it Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2and including more of these traits in the base game would have potentially helped these elements shine through even more from the start. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2s gameplay and story was a big improvement over its already strong predecessor, so it will be fascinating to see how Kingdom Come 3 drives the series even further.
- Released
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February 4, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+/Use of alcohol, blood and grime, sexual content, strong language, intense violence, partial nudity
- Developer
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Warhorse Studios
