Daniel Vavra, the creative force behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance and its sequel, is stepping away from day-to-day game development at Warhorse Studios to lead a film or TV adaptation of the series. With a draft script already in hand and industry talks reportedly underway, Warhorse aims to bring its grounded historical RPG to screens without compromising the studio’s vision, all while undergoing an internal leadership reshuffle to keep the games moving forward.
If you’ve followed Warhorse since the early crowdfunding days, you know Kingdom Come: Deliverance built its name on historical authenticity, unforgiving combat, and the kind of immersive sim detail that turns a medieval village into a living, breathing world. Now, the studio’s most recognizable voice, Daniel Vavra, is turning that ethos toward a new frontier: translating Kingdom Come’s grit and nuance to film or television.
What does that actually mean for fans? In short: the franchise isn’t being handed off to a random license holder. The plan is to keep the adaptation in-house creatively, with Vavra helping steer the ship and Warhorse leadership making it clear they don’t just want to sell rights and walk away. A draft script reportedly exists, early conversations with film partners are happening, and the studio’s ambition is to reach the same broad audience the games found in the United States, Western Europe, and Asia.
At the same time, Warhorse is rebooting its org chart to ensure the games remain on track. Creative leadership for development now rests with veterans Viktor Bocan and Prokop Jirsa, alongside art director Victor Höschl and CTO Martin Štýs. That signals two things: the film/TV project is a serious, parallel pillar for the studio, and the RPG team has a stable core guiding the next chapters on PC and console.
Why Vavra at the helm matters
- Cohesive tone: Kingdom Come’s identity hinges on believable medieval life, muddy boots and all. With Vavra involved, the on-screen version is more likely to preserve that grounded tone instead of leaning into fantasy tropes.
- Cultural context: A Czech-rooted story set in Bohemia benefits from creators who understand the history, geography, and cadence of the region. Expect fewer generic castles, more local specificity.
- Transmedia with intent: Warhorse has hinted at a “transmedia” mindset, framing the adaptation as a complement to — not a replacement for — its game development. That kind of alignment can prevent the familiar “licensed husk” problem.
Film or series? The format question
- Limited series: Kingdom Come’s slow-burn character arcs and systems-driven pacing might thrive in a multi-episode structure. It gives space to build Henry’s journey from blacksmith’s son to a figure caught in the gears of history.
- Feature film: A tight, higher-budget cinematic vision could center on a pivotal chapter — perhaps a siege or a personal revenge arc — that foregrounds drama and combat while hinting at the world’s larger politics.
Either way, careful adaptation is key. The game’s pleasures aren’t just plot beats — they’re the frictions and rituals: honing swordsmanship, patching wounds, earning trust, and choosing when to fight or flee. For the screen, those systems need to become cinematic language: training montages with intent, intimate moments of survival, and moral dilemmas that stick.
Challenges to get right
- Combat realism: Choreography must sell weight, exhaustion, and technique. No floaty wire-fu; make every swing count.
- Language and accessibility: Balancing period authenticity with modern clarity is tough. The writing should feel rooted without losing audiences.
- Visual texture: Costumes and set design should look lived-in, not museum-clean. The grime is part of the brand.
- Pace vs. patience: The game rewards preparation and consequence. The adaptation needs stakes and momentum without turning into a nonstop brawl.
What this means for the games The leadership shifts suggest Warhorse is dividing responsibilities to grow the brand on multiple fronts. With Bocan and Jirsa guiding day-to-day creative on the development side, players can expect continuity of vision — the same focus on historical role-playing that put the studio on the map.
It also arrives at a moment of momentum. The sequel’s strong commercial performance in its first year speaks to a growing audience willing to embrace a more demanding RPG. That success likely gives Warhorse leverage in negotiations: better partners, better budgets, and more control over the adaptation’s final shape.
What fans can start dreaming about
- A character-first story: Focus on personal stakes in a war-torn land — family, loyalty, revenge, and the gray spaces in between.
- Locations we know, reimagined: Rattay’s alleys, monasteries at dusk, and forest ambush sites captured with moody, natural lighting.
- A score that breathes: Period instruments blended with modern tension, reflecting both the beauty and brutality of the era.
- The “Warhorse cameo”: Easter eggs nodding to quests, side characters, or mechanics diehards will recognize.
Pitfalls to avoid
- Hollywood-izing the rough edges: The game’s charm is its refusal to sand down history. Don’t glamorize what worked precisely because it felt unglamorous.
- Overcrowding the plot: Kingdom Come isn’t Game of Thrones. Keep the cast focused and the politics legible.
- Ignoring failure as drama: The game lets mistakes spiral into storytelling. On screen, botched plans and hard lessons should matter.
A realistic hype check It’s exciting to hear there’s already a script draft and active talks, but adaptations take time. Scripts evolve, partnerships shift, and production timelines can stretch. The encouraging part is intent: Warhorse is signaling a desire to protect the soul of its creation while expanding to a new medium, with Vavra in a role that makes that protection more likely.
If you love the series, this is a moment to be cautiously optimistic. A team steeped in the game’s DNA is charting the course, the studio is structured to keep the RPGs healthy, and the brand is big enough to warrant serious attention from film and TV partners. That combination doesn’t guarantee success — nothing in filmmaking does — but it stacks the odds in the right direction.
The bottom line
- Daniel Vavra is shifting focus to lead a Kingdom Come: Deliverance screen adaptation.
- Warhorse is keeping creative control central, with a draft script and early industry talks underway.
- New internal leads are in place to continue game development.
- The goal: reach the same global audience that embraced the games, without losing the grounded identity that made them special.
If Warhorse can bring the series’ authenticity to the screen — the sweat, the steel, the stubbornness of real history — Kingdom Come might be on the verge of its next defining moment.
