Reenactment and video game development may seem like distant disciplines, but they often converge in unexpected ways. Developers seeking historical authenticity or immersive combat systems frequently draw from the practices and insights of the reenactment community. Whether through costume design, motion capture, or weapon handling, reenactors provide a living reference point for developers crafting believable historical or fantasy worlds.
Embodied Knowledge and Combat Mechanics
At the core of many games with melee combat systems lies a need to represent physical motion convincingly. Reenactors, particularly those involved in historical European martial arts (HEMA) or living history events, possess practical knowledge of how weapons were wielded in different periods. Game designers have increasingly turned to this community to study stances, strikes, and footwork that reflect period-accurate combat.
Studios like Warhorse (creators of Kingdom Come: Deliverance) went so far as to collaborate directly with HEMA practitioners. The result is a combat system based not just on animations, but on an understanding of tempo, distance, and historical technique. Even fantasy games such as The Witcher 3 or Elden Ring owe some of their feel to how medieval combat has been interpreted by reenactors.
Clothing, Armour, and Movement
Realistic character movement in games also depends on how armour and period clothing affect the body. Reenactors provide a vital window into this, as they regularly wear and fight in gear that closely resembles historical originals. Developers often record how different materials behave under stress, how characters should move in plate versus mail, and how posture is altered by period footwear or helmets.
This has informed not only animation but also game balance and design. Heavy armour may reduce speed or stamina in-game because developers have seen its effects first-hand during test sessions with reenactors.
Environmental Design and Authentic Atmosphere
Beyond characters and combat, reenactment also influences how developers recreate historical settings. Living history events, which often feature period-accurate camps, marketplaces, and rituals, offer insights into daily life that go beyond books or museum exhibits. Artists and level designers use these scenes as references when building believable game environments.
Games like Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and Total War: Attila have used the details of reenacted domestic life, from fire pits to wooden scaffolding, to lend credibility to their worlds. These background elements can be just as important as central mechanics in immersing the player.
The Sound of History
Reenactors also contribute to audio design. Many studios record the sounds of historically accurate weapons, tools, and clothing in action. The metallic hiss of mail, the thud of a padded gambeson during impact, or the snap of a longbow string all add texture to a game’s atmosphere. These sounds are not easily replicated digitally without a physical model.
In addition, reenacted battle scenes can be useful for crowd noise and battlefield ambience. Recordings from large-scale events allow developers to create layered audio environments that feel grounded.
Limitations and Creative Leaps
While reenactment offers authenticity, game designers must balance it with playability. Not all historical combat styles translate well to controller inputs or fast-paced gameplay. Likewise, period-accurate clothing may not always fit a fantasy aesthetic. Developers tend to take creative liberties, borrowing what serves the game while discarding what does not.
Still, even when stylised, the foundation provided by reenactment keeps the fiction anchored in something recognisable. Players may not know that a particular longsword stance came from 15th-century treatises practised by reenactors, but they feel its weight and plausibility.
The Seven Swords takeaway
Reenactment does more than feed curiosity about the past. It shapes how history, myth, and martial tradition are reimagined in interactive form. As developers continue to seek immersion and credibility in game worlds, the experience and discipline of reenactors will remain a valuable resource, less visible, perhaps, than concept art or code, but no less influential.
