Warhorse Studios

Warhorse Studios is a developer and publisher.

Warhorse Studios Webpage, Facebook

Czech development studio based in Prague. Led by Martin Fryvaldsky-Betinsky, the studio made a name for itself with Kingdom Come: Deliverance, which launched on PC and consoles in February 2018. Although Warhorse Studios began as an independent team, it was acquired by THQ Nordic in February 2019.

Warhorse Studios history

The studio’s story began in 2011, when it was founded by Daniel Vavra - the writer, lead designer, and producer of Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven and scriptwriter of its sequel - along with Martin Klima, a former Altar Interactive developer who worked on Original War and the UFO trilogy. The company, originally known as Prague Game Studios, rebranded as Warhorse Studios in 2014.

Difficult beginnings…

The Czech studio announced its debut project in late 2013. That project was Kingdom Come: Deliverance, a realistic, open-world RPG set in the Middle Ages. The project’s polish and ambition were largely thanks to early backing from Zdenek Bakala, one of the wealthiest Czechs, who invested $4 million in the studio.

However, efforts to secure additional investors and a publishing partner ultimately fell through. Publishers told the studio that a game like this wouldn’t succeed in the U.S. market, and securing a loan to finish development would be nearly impossible due to the supposedly declining state of PCs and consoles. One London investment banker even advised the team to pitch a free-to-play mobile game instead, hoping it would boost their chances of getting funding.

Faced with these setbacks, Daniel Vavra’s team turned to Kickstarter - not just to raise money, but also to prove their project’s potential - and launched their campaign in January 2014. Gamers eagerly supported the project, funding it in under two days. By the end of the campaign, it had raised over L1 million - far surpassing the initial L300,000 goal.

…and the great success of Kingdom Come: Deliverance

However, it would be four years after the announcement of Kingdom Come: Deliverance - during which Warhorse Studios grew significantly - before the game was finally released. After several delays, the game launched on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in February 2018, earning high praise from the gaming press despite its lingering issues. To the developers’ delight, their debut proved a major commercial success - within the first two days, 500,000 players had tried the game; by the end of the first week, nearly 400,000 copies had sold; and just nine days after release, sales topped one million.

In the months that followed, the game received a series of expansions and updates. In April 2018, Treasures of the Past was released, followed by Tournament, which was made available for free in September. Warhorse Studios then released four major paid story expansions: From The Ashes (July 2018), The Amorous Adventures of Bold Sir Hans Capon (October 2018), Band of Bastards (February 2019), and A Woman's Lot (May 2019).

Moving under the wing of THQ Nordic

In February 2019, THQ Nordic announced it had acquired 100% of Warhorse Studios for €42.8 million. Through the acquisition, the publisher also gained the studio’s intellectual property, including the rights to the Kingdom Come brand. Although the studio lost its independence, its operations were expected to remain unchanged. The team was set to keep significant creative freedom, with founders Daniel Vavra and Martin Klima remaining in their roles, along with the studio’s president, Martin Fryvaldsky-Betinsky.

In June 2021, Prime Matter announced that Kingdom Come: Deliverance would be coming to the Nintendo Switch. Ultimately, however, the port - developed by Saber Interactive - didn’t arrive on Nintendo’s hybrid console until March 2024. While this version couldn’t match the graphical quality of releases on other platforms - a fact reflected in its scores - many fans appreciated simply being able to play it on the Switch. As a result, Kingdom Come: Deliverance – Royal Edition earned an average score of 69/100 on Metacritic from both players and critics.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

The Switch release of the original KCD was just a teaser for the main event: the announcement of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 in April 2024. The game, continuing Henry’s story and described as being “darker and more serious” while keeping the style of the original, is set for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X. Warhorse Studios’ second project was also planned to be larger in scope than its predecessor, featuring two expansive maps and introducing new gameplay elements, including a more accessible combat system and the ability to use a crossbow and early firearms.

In the weeks that followed, the developers revealed more details about their second game. June’s Summer Game Fest delivered another trailer, this time featuring actual gameplay footage. Gamescom 2024 showcased another trailer along with real gameplay. In the meantime, the release date for KCD 2 was announced: February 11, 2025. Interestingly, the game’s release was later moved up.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 launched on February 4, 2025, achieving both critical acclaim and commercial success. The game received outstanding reviews from the gaming press, with its Metacritic score averaging 87–88/100 across platforms. It also earned “very positive” reviews on Steam. Additionally, Warhorse Studios’ release achieved impressive sales, reaching one million buyers within 24 hours and two million within two weeks. All of this meant that the project “significantly exceeded (…) expectations” of Embracer Group.

Meanwhile, Warhorse Studios shared its future plans for the sequel, including the development of three expansions.