It is just over a week old, but that gave the new Game of Thrones game enough time to significantly influence the overall opinion of players on Steam quite negatively. And not to their advantage. Especially one thing is not popular at all.
How is the new game received? Game of Thrones: Kingsroad received rather positive reviews in the first days of Early Access on Steam. Especially the gameplay and the story are the points that are praised in the reviews.
However, the feedback from players became increasingly sobering just a week after the release. At the time of this article on April 3, 2025, Kingsroad has only a “mixed” (66%) rating on Steam. And it’s not even because the actual game itself is poorly received, but because it includes a scheme that many players are becoming increasingly disappointed with – the good old microtransactions.
Here you can see the trailer for Game of Thrones: Kingsroad:
Players feel restricted by extra costs
What do players criticize the most? From the reviews on Steam, it quickly becomes clear that the aggressive use of microtransactions is the real culprit behind the negative sentiment:
- necrofobic comments: “[The game] has huge potential, but it is severely limited by this insane greed.”
- cp3rry001996 admits: “It pains me to say this, but it is a good game that hinders itself with gacha gameplay elements and excessive microtransactions.”
One player further mentions a point that represents an absolute knockout criterion for many other players in other video games, which is why he absolutely did not want to continue the game.
- julbug reports: “When I died and had to pay for the resurrection, I left the game and got my money back.”
What is the monetization model like? While the game is supposed to be F2P after Early Access, it still offers a battle pass for $20 as well as a subscription for $12 per month. With a limited inventory and denied access to loot, the continuation of missions, and the main story, players are encouraged to pay with real money (via Jeuxvideo).
This is, of course, not mandatory, but it significantly limits the fun of playing and especially the flow of the game if you don’t want to pay. Therefore, it is not surprising that many players are dissatisfied with the monetization model of Game of Thrones: Kingsroad.
For fans of Game of Thrones, the F2P title could offer a nice opportunity to dive back into the world of Westeros. However, you should be aware of what to expect. If you can overlook the monetization of Kingsroad, you will get a solid gaming experience considering the positive reviews. If you want to learn more about the game, you can check out the play report by MeinMMO author Linda Baumgartl: The new action-RPG of Game of Thrones on Steam reminds me of Witcher 3, could be better than Season 8
