"Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Embraces Historical Accuracy in Diversity"

Developers at Warhorse Studios are expressing frustration over the backlash surrounding Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (KCD2). In this article, we delve into Warhorse Studios' perspective on the controversy and its impact on the game.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's Diversity is a Result of Being "As Accurate As Possible"

Warhorse Studios’ Developers Just Want to Make a Cool Video Game

Warhorse Studios' developers are tired of the recent online backlash targeting Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (KCD2). Their primary goal? To create an engaging video game. In an interview with PC Gamer on February 3, 2025, KCD2’s PR Manager Tobias Stolz-Zwilling shared his thoughts on the criticism the game has received for its increased diversity.

Stolz-Zwilling remarked, "Several years ago, we were branded differently. Now we are branded that way. It seems like someone is always trying to brand us somehow, and we are just trying to make a cool videogame." This statement follows after fans and critics pointed out the inclusion of LGBTQ+ content and other elements considered "woke."

Senior Game Designer Ondřej Bittner echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that the team is not the root of the controversy. "We think the extreme voices are just never happy," he stated.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s Diversity

Set in Kuttenberg, KCD2 features a setting that naturally introduces more diversity compared to its predecessor. Bittner explained, "There's more ethnicities in Kuttenberg because Kuttenberg is the royal mint." As the second most significant city in Bohemia and the country’s financial hub, Kuttenberg attracts people from various parts of the world, making it inherently more diverse than other locations in the series.

Bittner highlighted the inclusion of different cultures and ethnicities, such as people from Italy, German-speaking individuals, and a Jewish quarter. He stressed the importance of not just including these groups but also reflecting their worldviews, which are often missing in media that claim to be diverse.

Stolz-Zwilling clarified that neither their publisher Plaion nor Embracer mandated any specific agendas for the game. The approach to KCD2 was shaped solely by community feedback. "Everything makes sense. Everything we put there was double and triple checked," he affirmed.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Pre-Orders Unaffected By Recent Backlash

Warhorse Studios addressed rumors about players requesting refunds for pre-ordering KCD2 amid the backlash. KCD2 Writer Daniel Vávra clarified on a Twitter (X) post that the game's sales-return ratio remains unchanged despite the controversy. He noted that KCD2's position on Steam charts was lower a few weeks ago due to discounts on nine popular games, which also impacted pre-order sales for Monster Hunter: Wilds.

In January 2025, Vávra faced criticism for KCD2's queer representation, leading to online rumors about the game being banned in Saudi Arabia due to unskippable LGBT+ scenes. Vávra debunked these rumors, emphasizing that "It is a ROLE PLAYING GAME, so it is purely up to the player what decisions they make and for all the decisions they make, they are responsible for the consequences that correspond to the morals and social norms of the time."

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is now available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. For more information about the game, visit our Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 page.