October 8, 2025 - Hooded Horse and Sad Socket are excited to announce that 9 Kings now has nine kings, as the King of Time portals through from the future to join the fray and become the King of Kings, for all time! The latest update of the successful roguelite deckbuilding strategy game is available now:
A multidimensional gentleman who travels through the ages in search of more kingdoms to conquer, the King of Time joins the roster to break the time continuum (and the game) like never before. His kingdom lies in the fringes of time, somewhere between magic, sci-fi, and steampunk technology, and his deck is all about timing. Some cards reward swift play, while others promote slower, more targeted strategies. Most importantly, some cards will allow players to literally time-travel to earlier years within the same run.
Read the full patch notes for a complete breakdown of the King of Time, as well as summaries of what some of the individual cards do. This update also comes with new balancing and quality-of-life features, including a new Rainbow perk that allows players to ban specific Kings from appearing in that run.
With the ninth king finally on the scene, 9 Kings’ foundations are finally complete, but this is only the beginning – stay tuned for more content and patches, including new game modes. If that wasn’t enough, 9 Kings has also been nominated for “Best Early Access Game” at the 43rd Golden Joystick Awards, being held next month in London, UK. Fans can go to the official voting page to show their support and vote from now until October 31.
9 Kings is available now on PC via Steam Early Access for a base price of $19.99 / £17.99 / €19.99 / ¥1,980. It currently holds a 92% “Very Positive” rating with over 12,000 reviews.
INSTINCT3 is assisting Hooded Horse in the GAS region, covering Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
A press kit is available.
Press inquiries: press@hoodedhorse.com
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About Hooded Horse™
Hooded Horse is a publisher of deep strategic and tactical games, including Manor Lords, Against the Storm, ENDLESS™ Legend 2, Old World, Norland, Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era, and 9 Kings. With people and partners around the world, our goal is to empower and support developers in doing what they do best: creating world-class experiences for their audiences.
You can find out more about us on our Steam publisher page or website, as well as our social channels: Twitter, Bluesky, Facebook, YouTube, and Discord.
About Sad Socket™
Founded by two childhood friends who tried (and failed) to make a AAA game when they were 11, Sad Socket is one of Brazil’s leading game companies, bringing ideas they are passionate about to life. They are a collaborative group that both develops their own games and helps publish other titles from the region by sharing expertise in game design and the creative industry.
You can find out more by visiting the official website, as well as Twitter and YouTube channels.
About INSTINCT3
INSTINCT3 is an influencer marketing agency from Germany focused on creative campaigns and influencer management. The team, made up of pioneers from the German gaming and esports industry, sees its main mission as creating synergies between the brands of advertisers and those of influencers through exceptional concepts.
The company also represents an exclusive portfolio of influencers, including “HandOfBlood,” one of Germany’s most high-reach online personalities. In 2024, the agency expanded its operations to include a new business area in indie game publishing.