Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's Diversity is Just a Result of Historical Accuracy

Warhorse Studios Addresses Backlash Against Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's Increased Diversity

Warhorse Studios is pushing back against criticism leveled at Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (KCD2) for its increased diversity. In a recent interview with PC Gamer (February 3, 2025), PR Manager Tobias Stolz-Zwilling expressed frustration with the ongoing negative reaction. He 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 videogame." This follows criticism from some quarters labeling the game "woke" due to its inclusion of LGBTQ+ content and other elements.

Senior Game Designer Ondřej Bittner echoed Stolz-Zwilling's sentiments, asserting that the team's intentions are being misconstrued. "We think the extreme voices are just never happy," he commented.

The Historical Basis of KCD2's Diversity

The game's setting in Kuttenberg, Bohemia's financial center, accounts for its diverse population. Bittner explained, "There's more ethnicities in Kuttenberg because Kuttenberg is the royal mint." This historical context explains the presence of various cultural and ethnic groups, including Italians, German speakers, and a Jewish quarter. Bittner emphasized the importance of accurately portraying these groups and their perspectives, stating, "I think that it's important to not just include these people, but their vision of the world, which can sometimes feel lacking in games or media that call themselves diverse."

Stolz-Zwilling further clarified that Warhorse Studios' approach to KCD2 was driven by community feedback, not directives from their publisher, Plaion or Embracer. He stated, "Everything makes sense. Everything we put there was double and triple checked."

Pre-Orders Remain Strong Despite Controversy

Addressing rumors of refund requests and a supposed ban in Saudi Arabia due to LGBTQ+ content, KCD2 Writer Daniel Vávra took to Twitter (X) to clarify that sales returns remain unaffected by the controversy. He attributed a recent dip in Steam chart rankings to concurrent sales of other discounted titles. Vávra also refuted the ban rumors and emphasized the game's role-playing nature, stating, "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.