Viral Shooter Kingmakers Gets Last-Minute Delay as Developer Puts Polish Before Profit
2025-10-04
Image credit: AI-generated by Gemini Imagen
In a move that has sent ripples through its eagerly awaiting fanbase, Redemption Road Games has indefinitely delayed the Steam Early Access launch of its viral hit, Kingmakers. The announcement came on August 12th, a mere three days before its scheduled release, pulling one of the platform's most wishlisted titles off the calendar at the eleventh hour.
The game, which captivated players with its high-concept premise of a modern soldier armed with advanced weaponry sent back in time to dominate medieval battlefields, was poised for a major launch on August 15, 2024. The massive hype was fueled by popular trailers that showcased this unique premise and set incredibly high expectations among players. The sudden halt, announced directly to the community on the official Kingmakers Discord server, was an unexpected and decisive pump of the brakes.
A Calculated Retreat for Quality
The reasoning provided by Redemption Road Games is a case study in transparent development. Rather than push a product they felt was undercooked, the studio opted to delay the launch to ensure the final game could live up to the immense expectations set by its own marketing.
In a statement reported by Kotaku, the developer explained their position clearly: "While we could launch on August 15th, it would not meet the standards you have come to expect from our trailers, nor the standards we have for ourselves." This sentiment was echoed in a further comment, captured by Eurogamer, that cuts directly to the heart of the matter: "We need more time before we feel good about charging money for it."
Redemption Road Games acknowledged the difficulty of their choice, stating, "This isn't a decision we've made lightly, and we understand this will be a disappointment to many. But we believe it's the right one," as noted by GameSpot. It's a principled stand that prioritizes the long-term health of the game and its community over the short-term win of a timely, if flawed, launch.
Disappointment Tempered by Respect
While the news was undoubtedly a blow to fans counting down the hours to release, the community's reaction has been overwhelmingly one of understanding and support. According to reports on the sentiment from the game's Discord, players have largely respected the developer’s transparency and commitment to quality. The consensus is clear: a delayed, polished game is vastly preferable to a rushed and broken one. By choosing to fall on their own sword rather than disappoint their players, Redemption Road Games appears to have turned a potentially disastrous delay into a moment of goodwill.
The path forward for Kingmakers, however, remains shrouded in uncertainty. The delay is indefinite, with no new release window offered. The studio has not detailed the specific technical or gameplay issues that prompted this last-minute decision, leaving the scope of the required work entirely unknown. For now, one of the year's most anticipated titles has gone back into the forge, leaving its community with a mix of disappointment and a deep respect for the developer who refused to sell them a promise they couldn't keep.
Sources:
- GameSpot: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/kingmakers-a-pc-game-about-bringing-guns-to-a-swordfight-delayed-at-the-last-minute/1100-6535209/?ftag=CAD-01-10abi2f
- Kotaku: https://kotaku.com/kingmakers-delay-medieval-shooter-steam-early-access-date-2000631559
- Eurogamer: https://www.eurogamer.net/kingmakers-delayed-indefinitely-as-developer-needs-more-time-before-we-feel-good-about-charging-money-for-it
- Rock Paper Shotgun: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/anachronistic-medieval-shooter-kingmakers-catches-an-indefinite-delay-days-before-it-was-supposed-to-launch