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 frustrated with the ongoing backlash against Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (KCD2), emphasizing their primary goal of creating an engaging video game. In a recent interview with PC Gamer on February 3, 2025, KCD2’s PR Manager Tobias Stolz-Zwilling voiced his frustration over the criticism the game has received for its increased diversity.
Stolz-Zwilling stated, "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 video game." This statement follows after fans and critics criticized the game for including LGBTQ+ content and other elements deemed "woke."
Senior Game Designer Ondřej Bittner echoed these sentiments, pointing out that the team is not the source of the controversy. "We think the extreme voices are just never happy," he remarked.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s Diversity
Set in Kuttenberg, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 features a more diverse setting than its predecessor. Bittner explained, "There's more ethnicities in Kuttenberg because Kuttenberg is the royal mint." As the second most important city in Bohemia and the country’s financial hub, Kuttenberg attracts people from various parts of the world, resulting in a more diverse population compared to other locations in the series.
Bittner highlighted the inclusion of different cultures and ethnicities in the game, such as Italians, German-speaking individuals, and a Jewish quarter. He emphasized the importance of not only including these groups but also representing their worldviews, which he believes is often missing in media claiming to be diverse.
Stolz-Zwilling clarified that neither their publisher Plaion nor Embracer mandated any specific agendas for the game. Instead, community feedback influenced their approach to KCD2. "Everything makes sense. Everything we put there was double and triple checked," he assured.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Pre-Orders Unaffected By Recent Backlash
Warhorse Studios addressed rumors about players seeking refunds for pre-ordering the game amid the recent backlash. KCD2 Writer Daniel Vávra took to Twitter (X) to clarify that the game's sales-return ratio remains unchanged despite the controversy. He noted that KCD2's position on Steam charts had been affected by discounts on nine popular games, which also impacted Monster Hunter: Wilds pre-order sales.
In January 2025, Vávra faced attacks due to KCD2's inclusion of queer representation, sparking rumors about the game being banned in Saudi Arabia because of unskippable LGBT+ scenes. Vávra debunked these rumors, emphasizing that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a role-playing game where players' decisions and their consequences reflect 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.
