Legacy of the Forge is the next slice of DLC lined up for this year’s bestselling medieval RPG, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. With its focus on blacksmithing, the update’s been designed to not only add a host of satisfying new gameplay features, but also give players fresh new avenues for customisation and roleplaying.

As with all things at Warhorse Studios, the process of building on this intriguing world begins with a deep understanding of life in the real medieval Europe. Thankfully, the team is well-resourced when it comes to looking back through time.

“We have historians here in Warhorse and it’s part of their job to study all of the papers and the books from this time,” says Jan Zeman, Narrative & Gameplay Designer, when asked about the process of building out Legacy of the Forge’s historical foundations.“We also have old tax documents which state how much you might pay to a baker, or a blacksmith. In the Old Town of Prague, for example, we know that there were a certain number of people working in a certain kind of job.

“Then we have the archaeological evidence – even a proper forge! Or we’ll find a document that describes the tax list of burghers in Prague at the time. It tells us that a Mr Turnowsky had a mill located on this part of the riverbank.”

“We have information from all around the Czech Republic, and from looking further around Europe too because this information is so rare. You need to read all of them and then think: ‘How might this look in Kuttenberg at this time?

“We may not have the evidence to say exactly where the forges in Kuttenberg were, but it’s an industrial town in a medieval time so there’s going to be one. It’s a game, and we need to put it somewhere!”

As you develop your own forge in the new update, you’ll eventually entice a pair of assistants to work alongside you. These workshop companions not only provide you with useful wares as you go about your own blacksmithing business, but are essential helpers when it comes to crafting some of the new recipes you’ll discover in Legacy of the Forge.

While the assistants in the DLC are older and more experienced than the apprentices who would have served a 15th Century Bohemian blacksmith, the inspiration for their presence here is clear enough.

“In Legacy of the Forge these guys are more like your colleagues, rather than apprentices,” says Zeman. “The more important point is that in medieval times there were only a few places for workshops.

“Let’s say there were three blacksmith workshops in the area, as dictated by the guild. That means you could only have three proper blacksmiths, and if you wanted to do more work you needed some apprentices to help you. If they grew enough in skill, they could perhaps go on to open their own workshop. “

It would not have been easy for these apprentices to set up shop wherever they pleased, however. This was an intensely political world, after all, and blacksmiths were an essential (not to mention highly-trusted) component of a functioning feudal society.

“It was seriously strict. It was very hard in medieval times to have your own workshop in the town as a stranger. You could be the son of the blacksmith, you could marry into family, or you could be the stranger – but that last way is hard.

“No-one wants strangers getting into these positions because of the politics involved. You wouldn’t want to elevate outsiders to a high position of influence. In this DLC, the workshop is empty and available to Henry for a reason!”

Another example where the past is used as just a gentle pointer for development can be found in the new Blacksmith Prestige stat. As you increase the level of your Prestige, you’ll gain access to new colour options for your house, new furniture and new structures for your garden like bee hives and an alchemy lab.

“Historically if you wanted to repair your house, you needed a permit from the town council.  The guild not only owned the house but controlled the number of workshops and apprentices in the area, as well as the technology any given blacksmith could use. You didn’t have to pay rent to the guild, but you did have to take care of the place.”

“We needed something easy for our players to understand though, rather than some complicated political interactions about changing your house’s appearance. It’s not fun to do paperwork in the game, and so we have a Prestige stat you can raise through activities, and then buy things from there.”

These are just a handful of the clever ways Warhorse has taken inspiration from the past, without sacrificing gameplay for the sake of historical accuracy. As for your own personal workshop, you’ll be able to open for business when Legacy of the Forge lands on September 9.

Legacy of the Forge

Deep Silver

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Return to Kuttenberg and put your blacksmithing skills to the test to acquire and repair a legendary burned-down forge, where your father, Martin, spent his youth as an apprentice. Establish your own home in the heart of Kuttenberg, designing the forge itself as well as its surroundings and your very own private quarters, with the ability to customize and furnish to aid your gameplay.

Venture down memory lane and learn of your father’s legacy as a blacksmith, revealing a part of his life that has remained hidden—until now. Uncover the mystery of an ambitious masterpiece your father once worked on and follow in his footsteps to complete it. Become a forge master and build upon your new blacksmith prestige, helping the people of Kuttenberg with sword crafting, and some more quirky requests.

In addition to new daily quests, Henry will unlock the ability to earn cash, enabling a brand-new home customization system with over 100 million combinations to personalize your forge, private quarters, and its surroundings. Once decked out, your forge becomes a place to return to and call home.

Legacy of the Forge is the second story expansion for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and is included for Expansion Pass and Gold Edition owners.