Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is already shaping upto be one of 2025’s biggest hits. But will it be snubbed like Black Myth: Wukong?

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has sold more than a million copies within 24 hours of launch. The game is setting new player count records daily and it’s clear that Warhorse Studios has made another exceptional game. Could it be an early Game of The Year contender for 2025?

Game Science was snubbed from GOTY last year. | Image Credit: Game Science

Well, as history has shown, commercial success and critical acclaim don’t always guarantee a GOTY win. Black Myth: Wukong had the same story last year with it being a genre and industry-defining title only to fall short. These games have proved that single-player experiences are still in high demand. So let’s hope there’s no Sony snub this time.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 could end up like Black Myth: Wukong

The game is a hit, but will it be GOTY? | Image Credit: Warhorse Studios

The launch of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has been nothing short of phenomenal. Warhorse Studios confirmed that the game sold one million copies within its first day. On top of that, it’s made back all of its development costs within 24 hours, making the sequel not just a hit with players but an instant financial win as well.

Over a million of you have stepped into our world. We’re beyond grateful for your support – thank you for making #KCD2 a triumph! pic.twitter.com/2YDmcDx3mn

— Warhorse Studios (@WarhorseStudios) February 5, 2025

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 reportedly cost around *41 million US dollars* to develop and already turned a profit just 24 hours after launch.

It is genuinely insane what Warhorse Studio has managed to deliver on such a tight budget compared to industry giants, A masterpiece. pic.twitter.com/Pq3UXfSd6H

— Synth Potato🥔 (@SynthPotato) February 7, 2025

Speaking of it being a sequel, it has also surpassed the first game, which was also a success. By comparison, the first game took two weeks to reach the same milestone back in 2018. If you pair this with the impressive Metacritic score of 88, KCD 2 is already the highest-rated release of 2025 so far. Let’s just hope we don’t have another Black Myth: Wukong situation on our hands.

KCD 2′s early success feels exactly like Black Myth: Wukong, which became one of 2024’s biggest games. The Chinese action RPG sold 20 million copies in its first month and broke records as the most-played single-player game on Steam, peaking at 2.2 million concurrent players.

Black Myth Wukong has sold over 25 million copies since launch

➡️ https://t.co/oO8zoLaXK5#BlackMythWukong pic.twitter.com/eYYwh4LXYP

— Shinobi602 (@shinobi602) January 31, 2025

Despite this, Black Myth: Wukong ultimately lost the Game of the Year award at The Game Awards, instead taking home wins in other categories like Best Action Game and Players’ Voice. We still think it was the most impactful title of the year, especially over Sony’s Astro Bot, which won GOTY.

Warhorse Games may have made a long-lasting game again

KCD 2 can join the Skyrims and Fallouts of the world. | Image Credit: Warhorse Studios

KCD 2 is undoubtedly in the running for Game of the Year, but it may face the same obstacles as Black Myth: Wukong. In 2024, Astro Bot’s Game of the Year win at The Game Awards was a bit controversial as a lot of fans believed Wukong deserved it more. The jury-based voting system has often favored Sony titles and it’s hard for even record-breaking third-party games to take the top prize.

Aside from sales, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is also shaping up to have the potential for some long-term engagement. Unlike most games that peak at launch, its concurrent player count has increased every day since release. Starting at 159,000 players on February 4, it climbed to 233,000 by February 8. That’s a lot of potential that could rival the longevity of games like Fallout and Skyrim.

So with this strong start, KCD 2 surely has the early momentum to be one of the biggest hits of 2025. It has all the makings of a Game of the Year winner but if history is any indication quality alone doesn’t make a GOTY. What do you think of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 so far? Let us know in the comments!