Redemption Road’s highly anticipated medieval shooter, Kingmakers, will no longer arrive on 8 October as initially planned. The developer has announced that the Early Access launch has been postponed indefinitely, with no new release date confirmed.
Developers cite need for additional polish
In an update posted on Steam, the development team explained that the decision was made because the game still requires more work before it can be released to paying players. “The scheduled launch, just days away, will no longer be possible,” the statement read. The team added that they need “a bit more time on content polish before we feel good about charging money for it.”
The delay comes as a disappointment to fans, as Kingmakers has been one of the most highly anticipated indie titles since its announcement last year. The game has quickly risen to the top of Steam’s most wishlisted titles, mainly due to its unusual concept and chaotic gameplay footage.
Described as a medieval battle game infused with modern firepower, Kingmakers drops players into a war-torn medieval setting equipped with modern military weapons, including firearms, tanks, and armoured vehicles. Trailers have shown large-scale clashes where sworders face off against gunfire and explosions — a blend that fans have described as both absurd and exhilarating.
Pushing Unreal Engine 4 to its limits
In their announcement, the developers emphasised that Kingmakers is one of the most ambitious projects they have undertaken. “Kingmakers is an incredibly ambitious, uncompromising game, and we don’t want to cut any planned features for the sake of getting it out the door earlier,” the team stated.
The post also revealed the studio’s technical goals, which aim to push Unreal Engine 4 to its maximum potential. “With Kingmakers, we set out to push the Unreal Engine 4 codebase to its absolute limits, while still providing true 60fps to midrange PCs, without the need for fake frames,” the team explained.
Highlighting their focus on technology, they added: “We are an 80% engineering team, who got into this business to push technological barriers. We currently have tens of thousands of soldiers, each equipped with AI and pathfinding capabilities that rival what you’d expect from a AAA third-person shooter. When you walk away from a battle, it continues to play out. Nothing is faked.”
This dedication to authenticity and large-scale simulation may explain the delay, as balancing such a complex system while maintaining performance across different hardware configurations presents a significant challenge.
No new release date, but more updates coming
As of now, Redemption Road has not provided a revised launch date. However, the studio has assured fans that more details will be shared soon. “We will be presenting a half-hour-long deep dive on Kingmakers gameplay very soon, with a comprehensive overview of everything we’ve been working on,” the team said.
While the delay may frustrate eager players, many have expressed understanding, noting that a more polished product is worth the wait. Given the scale of Kingmakers — blending real-time strategy, massive AI battles, and over-the-top action — taking extra time to refine the experience could help ensure it meets the high expectations set by its early trailers.
For now, fans can only wait for the upcoming deep dive presentation, which is expected to shed more light on the current state of development and the unique blend of medieval and modern warfare that Kingmakers promises to deliver.
