Deliverance Delivers And Doesn’t Show Signs of Stopping

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Today’s Insights

• Kingdom Come Is Breaking Its Own Records

• Is a New Sonic Fighting Game in the Works?

• Say Goodbye To E3 And Hello To Iicon

• Take On A Corrupted King Arthur In SWORN

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THIS WEEK IN GAMING

Deliverance Delivers And Doesn’t Show Signs of Stopping

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is on an absolute roll! In just six days, it has smashed its own concurrent Steam player record… an astonishing six times in a row! If you’re not playing this game, you might want to check it out. Ever since its release on February 4, the sequel from developer Warhorse Studios has been riding a wave of success, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Even before launch, the game was dominating Steam’s Top Sellers chart, purely based on pre-orders.

And the hits keep coming. For six straight days, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has held onto the number one spot on Steam’s Top Sellers list. But it’s nowhere near finished yet; on SteamDB, player numbers are climbing higher every day. Most recently, the game hit an astonishing 256,206 concurrent players on February 9, cranking it up to one of Steam’s top 50 most-played games ever. This medieval action RPG is enjoying its spot at number 49 right now, rubbing elbows with some of the platform’s biggest hits.

Sales are staggering and they continue to climb. Warhorse Studios’ Creative Director Daniel Vávra confirmed that the game sold a million copies in just 24 hours, which instantly covered development costs. There are an estimated 890,000 sales on Steam, which typically only make up about half of a game’s total sales. With those numbers, it's likely the game is creeping toward the 2-million mark. Not too bad for a somewhat unknown RPG.

Plenty of DLCs and expansions on the horizon. But Warhorse Studios isn’t stopping there. They’ve already announced three big DLC expansions, kicking off with Brushes with Death in summer 2025, followed by Legacy of the Forge and Mysteria Ecclesia in the fall and winter. Before those drop though, fans can look forward to a massive free update in spring 2025, featuring a horse racing mini-game, Hardcore mode, and even a barbershop. Because every hero should look their best when saving the land.

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DEVELOPER INSIGHTS

A New Sonic Fighting Game is Past Due, But Are the Rumors True?

Sonic’s popularity is causing rumors to swirl. Sonic the Hedgehog fans, get ready—there’s a fresh rumor buzzing that a brand-new Sonic fighting game could be in the works! The past few years have been huge for Sonic, with Sonic X Shadow Generations making waves and the live-action movies drawing in tons of fans. With all that, the rumor mill has been busy, but it’s not without merit. 

Sega is looking for developers to work on a battle game. Rumors about Sega’s plans have been swirling for a while now. Fans are already speculating about a Sonic Heroes remake or sequel dropping in fall 2025. Add that to a Sega job listing looking for developers to work on a “3D battle action game,” and you get rumors speculating an upcoming Sonic brawler. While the job listing doesn’t mention Sonic by name, it’s linked to Sega’s 2nd Development Division, which is the team behind the Sonic franchise.

More hints adding fuel to the fire. Those are the only hints. They get juicier because earlier, a former Sega employee leaked a hint at a Sega and Capcom crossover featuring Sonic and Street Fighter. Can you imagine Knuckles squaring off against Ryu, Blanka, and M. Bison?? And to add even more fuel to the rumor mill, Sega recently trademarked the name Sonic Blitz. If that doesn’t sound like a fighting game, I don’t know what does. 

Only time will tell. Of course, Sega has other projects on the horizon such as Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds It’s set to launch later this year around October or November. That said, there’s still a chance you could see multiple Sonic games in one year, depending on what they have in store. Of course, it could be a rework of Sonic the Fighters, a fighting game that was only released in Japan in 1996. Either way, it will be exciting to see what happens.

TECH SPOTLIGHT

ESA is Shifting Focus And Going Back to Their Roots

E3 is rising from the dead, but will it be fresh, or stink like a rotting corpse? The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) may have shut the doors on E3, but it’s not stepping away from gaming events entirely. Instead, it’s launching a brand-new conference called Iicon which is short for the Interactive Innovation Conference. Unlike E3’s flashy game reveals and fan showcases, Iicon will be tuned down. It will be a place for tech innovators, gaming professionals, and similar to connect and toss around ideas. 

So far the event is by invitation only. The event is set for April 27–30, 2026, at the Fontainebleau Resort in Las Vegas, a five-star venue fitting for its invite-only approach. Heavyweights like Nintendo, PlayStation, Ubisoft, Square Enix, and EA are already confirmed as keynote presenters, signaling that Iicon is aiming high. While details on tickets are still under wraps, interested attendees can sign up for updates through the event’s official website.

Iicon is trying to carve out a new niche. In many ways, Iicon feels like a return to ESA’s original vision for E3, which started as a trade-only event for industry professionals before opening to the public in 2017. But this isn’t just a rebranded version of the old expo. With Summer Game Fest and publisher-led showcases taking over major game announcements, ESA seems to be carving out a new niche—one focused on networking, innovation, and shaping the future of gaming.

The future remains uncertain. Rather than trying to recreate E3’s former glory, ESA is taking a different path, one that prioritizes industry collaboration over spectacle. Whether Iicon will become a must-attend event remains to be seen, but one thing is clear—ESA isn’t done making an impact on the gaming world just yet.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Do You Have What it Takes to Save a Land From a Corrupted Hero?

Do you have what it takes to challenge a corrupted King Arthur and his band of Round Table Knights? If you were fascinated by the tales of Camelot in your youth, get ready for a corrupted re-telling. SWORN, the new action-packed roguelike from Windwalk Games and Team17 Digital, has officially launched in Early Access on Steam. This challenging adventure takes inspiration from that mythical time of Camelot and allows players to wield powerful weapons, unlock mystical abilities, and join forces with legendary allies like Merlin. Just know that King Arthur and his corrupted knights won’t give up their hold easily.

Endless ways to play the game. Whether you prefer to be a lone fighter or team up with a squad or heroes, SWORN has you covered. The game supports up to four players at a time, allowing you to team up with your buds and strategize your way through Avalon’s chaotic battlegrounds. Choose from four unique heroes—Vigilante, Rook, Spectre, and Monk—each with their own special abilities. With ever-changing battles and endless combinations of powers, no two runs will ever feel the same.

Based on the popular lore, but more sinister. While SWORN draws from the legend of King Arthur, its world leans into a darker, more sinister fantasy style, inspired by Mike Mignola’s iconic Hellboy artwork. You’ll see mythical familiar figures who can become invaluable allies or terrifying enemies. This blend of classic lore and eerie new twists creates a setting that is both mesmerizing and treacherous.

No PC? No problem. Though SWORN is currently only available on Steam, a console release is already in the works for the full 1.0 launch. That date hasn’t been released as of this writing but if you're interested in updates, stay tuned to their Discord channel and check on the Team17 website.

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