Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Developers Embrace Negative Feedback in Playtests to Enhance Player Progression Experience

It’s no secret that video game developers often dread negative feedback during playtests, but for the team behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, hearing players express frustration was actually a positive indicator that they were achieving their goal of creating a challenging historical RPG.

Lead designer Prokop Jirsa shared, “We had playtests where some players started a game, made a mistake, got arrested right away, and then provided negative feedback. We had the confidence to say, ‘Yes, that’s what we want.'”

Jirsa elaborated on their design philosophy, stating, “We want players to feel extremely weak at the start because that makes the journey to gaining strength feel truly rewarding.” He recalled the initial apprehension about committing to a slow progression system, which stands in stark contrast to the instant gratification prevalent in many modern games.

The success of the first Kingdom Come: Deliverance in 2018 helped alleviate some of the team’s concerns. Jirsa noted, “Even though there were many discussions about whether we were on the right path, questioning if we really wanted to strip everything from the player at the beginning, including their place to sleep.”

However, Jirsa recognizes that players are adaptable. He pointed to FromSoftware as a prime example of how challenging games can resonate with a broader audience: “With Dark Souls and Elden Ring, they took a niche concept and made it mainstream, achieving great success.”

“I genuinely believe there’s significant potential for innovative ideas that, with the right development, could capture the mainstream audience,” he added.

The developers of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 are crafting what could be my favorite RPG of 2025 by staying true to their original vision: “We had the strength to say, ‘Yes, that’s what we want.'”