Daniel Vávra is leaving active game development at Warhorse Studios. The director and lead creative behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance is shifting his focus toward film and television projects.
Vávra co-founded the Prague-based studio and served as the driving creative force behind the Kingdom Come franchise. He directed both games and wrote much of the story that made the series known for its historically grounded approach to medieval Bohemia.
His next move appears to involve bringing Kingdom Come to the screen. Multiple sources indicate he’s developing a film or TV adaptation of the franchise, though the exact status and scope of that project remains unclear.
This marks a significant change for Warhorse Studios. The company is expected to continue developing Kingdom Come games without Vávra in a hands-on director role, though no successor has been officially named.
Vávra’s game development career extends beyond Kingdom Come. He previously worked on the Mafia series and was a major creative contributor to Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven and Mafia II before founding Warhorse Studios.
The shift from games to film is becoming more common in the industry. Creators like Neil Druckmann have balanced both worlds with The Last of Us TV series while remaining in game development. Others like Ken Levine have attempted the jump with mixed results. Hideo Kojima has long expressed interest in film work and recently announced a Death Stranding movie adaptation.
Kingdom Come‘s blend of historical authenticity and first-person RPG mechanics made it a breakout success. The games emphasize simulation-heavy systems like realistic combat, survival elements, and reputation management. Translating that interactive freedom into a linear film or series presents obvious challenges.
Medieval settings aren’t rare in film and TV. A Kingdom Come adaptation would need strong character work and storytelling to stand out in an already crowded genre. The games’ appeal relied heavily on player agency and immersion in its world rather than a standout narrative on its own.
Czech film production infrastructure is well-established. Prague has served as a filming location for major international projects for decades. That local expertise could help a Kingdom Come screen adaptation get off the ground, especially for a production requiring extensive medieval sets and battle sequences.
