Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Received Crucial Update Through 'Brushes With Death' DLC

Warhorse Studios just released the most important update for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II yet, and it literally comes with a gift that is stained with blood. The free "Brushes with Death" DLC that comes with Update 1.3 adds a rough new second-chance survival system and a bunch of long-awaited fixes that make going back to Bohemia more appealing than ever.

There is now a brand-new mechanic in the Brushes with Death DLC that lets players survive one fatal blow in combat. It's no longer game over when a sword hits you in the head or a mace hits you in the ribs. Instead, you have a small chance of making it away from death. But Henry doesn't just brush it off. Someone will hit you, hurt you, and make you crawl to safety. What will happen if you don't get help quickly? You'll still die, but it will happen more slowly and with more fear.

This isn't a free pass to avoid jail time. The mechanic only works in certain situations, probably based on health, stamina, and gear, and it can't be used more than once. Think of it as a movie-style brush with death, not a way to make yourself unbeatable. After the battle, Henry may have long-lasting injuries like broken bones or internal bleeding, which will make you rethink how you fight every battle from now on.

If this sounds like something you've heard before, that's because it is. Warhorse confirmed that the "crawl-away-from-death" system comes straight from Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, which gives players a sneak peek at what's to come. It was a smart move, since fans are already really excited about the sequel.

Along with the Brushes with Death DLC, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Update 1.3 adds a lot of features that will make life better for longtime players. The most important story? Skipping through cuts. You can finally skip ahead to Henry's early mishaps without having to hit the escape key over and over again.

Fast travel has also been changed to give you better, clearer previews of your routes, so you know exactly where you're going and what kind of trouble might be waiting for you. It seems like a small change, but it saves a lot of time in real life.

Combat balance has also been slightly changed. It's now more realistic for maces and axes to cut through armor, and swordplay feels smoother overall, with better combo flow. It's not a complete overhaul of combat, but it is a clear polish pass that makes the already fun melee system even better.

Horseback riding, which has been annoying for a long time, also gets some love. With better collision detection and animations, you'll spend less time getting stuck on terrain and more time galloping across Bohemia.

There are also many bug fixes. Notably, the famous "Ginger in a Pickle" quest has been fixed after long-running problems with missing NPCs and non-working triggers. Better sorting and clearer descriptions of items have also made inventory management easier.

What does this all mean in a bigger sense?

It's clear that Warhorse is doing more than just putting out updates—they're making progress. By introducing a key feature from Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Brushes with Death DLC early on, they're not only giving fans a reason to play the first game again but also slowly getting them used to the next-gen systems that will make the sequel what it is. The plan is clearly working since forums are getting very active, and the number of reinstalls is going up.

Now is the best time to play Kingdom Come: Deliverance II again, whether you've played it before or are new and want to see what happens in the next game. The Update 1.3 makes the game much better, and the Brushes with Death DLC adds a realistic, brutal survival twist that goes well with the game's historical accuracy.