Deliverance 2 Design Director Responds to Players Who Find the Game Too Hard

Warhorse Studios’ medieval RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has been regarded as “too hard” by a portion of its audience, but not necessarily due to traditional difficulty design as much as its uncompromising approach to realism and authenticity. Like most games, the more time players invest in it, the more skilled they and Henry, KCD2‘s protagonist, become. As a result, the game gets easier over time, though it has more to do with the player’s experience than any XP or gear-based progression system. The problem, however, is that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is so demanding from the start that some players simply don’t want to expend the effort it takes to cross that challenge threshold. But without it, the game’s integrity would be compromised.

That’s a reality that developer Warhorse is completely aware of, as it didn’t set out to create a game that would be enjoyed for its simplicity but appreciated and wondered at for its authenticity. In that sense, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is secure in itself and what it wants to be, regardless of any criticism lobbed its way for being too difficult from a certain point of view. In a recent interview with GameRant, design director Viktor Bocan affirmed that sentiment as he admitted without pretense that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is simply not for everyone.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s Design Director Knows It’s Not for Everyone

When beginning a new game in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, players are greeted by the slow, grueling process of what essentially feels like learning how to game again. That’s because the medieval RPG doesn’t play like anything else out there, so any old habits players bring along with them are forced to change, and if they don’t, those players might feel like quitting the game altogether.

Running too quickly into the fray or spamming the attack button can have adverse effects in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, as Henry is as ordinary as they come, possessing no special powers or secret weapon that can get him out of danger. Ultimately, this comes down to the game’s philosophy of what makes a good RPG, which, according to Bocan, is an unprecedented amount of freedom. The catch, however, is that freedom to that degree requires the protagonist to be a blank canvas. In the end, that means making Henry as normal as possible, which inadvertently makes for a more challenging experience than players might be familiar with.

But rather than apologize for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2‘s unconventional gameplay and what has proven to be a high skill curve among some players, Bocan doubled down on its design during our interview with him, making a statement that has become increasingly rare during a time when player dissatisfaction seems to be at an all-time high. The design director stated:

“It always amuses me when I read in forums or on social media that the combat is very hard and someone else immediately comes and says, “You need to train. If the combat is hard, you need to get some levels. Here are some people on the map that you can find and train with them, and then you’ll get better.” And then they’re like, “What? I train in my real life. This is a game. I want to have fun. I don’t want to train in the game. I don’t need to learn something in the game.” I understand that. They don’t want that. They don’t have time for that. But obviously, this is not the game for them. Or maybe the combat is not for them.”

Whether he realizes it or not, Bocan pointed to one of the most glaring complexities of the modern gaming industry and the gamers who invest in it. The truth is, players often approach games with an expectation that challenge should bend to convenience, that any friction should be optional, and that fun is an objective quality. But games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 make resistance the whole point rather than an obstacle to be smoothed over.

Essentially, it asks players to meet it where it is, not where they wish it were, because altering that relationship would fundamentally change what the experience is meant to express. At a certain point, accommodating every preference stops being accessibility and starts becoming erosion. A game that knows what it is willing to lose to stay honest may frustrate part of its audience, but it also preserves the very identity that gives it meaning in the first place.

Bocan would go on to call the idea that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is too hard a “fundamental misunderstanding” of the game. In short, it is really only too hard for those who are unwilling to embrace the idea that freedom always comes at the cost of hard work. In Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, that looks like taking the blank canvas that Henry is and learning a thing or two, even if he acquires some scrapes and bruises along the way. Bocan continued:

“In our game, you need to learn. You need to train yourself, as a player, and you need to train your character. Henry needs to learn as well, so you really need to train with some swordmasters and level up his skills and your skills. That is something that is an important part of the game for us, because we really wanted to bring you this character who knows nothing at the start, and you need to train him and teach him. But still, we get this feedback that’s like, “I paid money for this game. I want to be a swordsman. I don’t want to pay money and then train to be a swordsman.” But this is a fundamental misunderstanding. We created a game where you can be anyone you want, but you need to give something to get something.”

All of this boils down to one simple truth about Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2: at the end of the day, it is a game built on reciprocity. It gives players an enormous amount of freedom, but it expects something in return, whether that’s patience, humility, or a willingness to learn within its systems rather than try to bypass them with fantastical heroics. For some, that exchange can feel immensely rewarding, as progress is earned through understanding rather than shortcuts. For others, it can feel like an unnecessary burden. Warhorse has made peace with that divide, and in doing so, it has drawn a clear line between a game that wants to please everyone and one that is committed to being itself.

Released

February 4, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity

Developer(s)

Warhorse Studios