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

The developers at Warhorse Studios are expressing frustration over the backlash surrounding Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (KCD2), emphasizing their desire to create an engaging video game. In a recent interview with PC Gamer on February 3, 2025, KCD2’s PR Manager Tobias Stolz-Zwilling voiced his thoughts on the controversy sparked by the game's 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 criticism from fans and reviewers who pointed out the inclusion of LGBTQ+ content and other elements perceived as "woke."

Senior Game Designer Ondřej Bittner echoed these sentiments, stating, "We think the extreme voices are just never happy." He emphasized that the team's focus is on creating a game that resonates with a broad audience, not fueling controversy.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s Diversity

Set in Kuttenberg, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 introduces a setting that naturally lends itself to greater diversity than its predecessor. Bittner explained, "There's more ethnicities in Kuttenberg because Kuttenberg is the royal mint." As the financial hub of Bohemia, Kuttenberg attracts individuals from various backgrounds, making it a melting pot of cultures.

Bittner highlighted the game's inclusion of different ethnicities and cultures, such as Italians, Germans speaking their native language, and a Jewish quarter. He stressed the importance of not only including these diverse elements but also reflecting their unique worldviews, which he believes are often missing in media that claim to be diverse.

Stolz-Zwilling clarified that the inclusion of diverse elements was not driven by directives from their publisher, Plaion, or Embracer. Instead, community feedback played a significant role in shaping the game's direction. He assured that "Everything makes sense. Everything we put there was double and triple checked."

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

Warhorse Studios has addressed rumors about players requesting refunds for pre-ordering Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 amid the backlash. KCD2 Writer Daniel Vávra took to Twitter (X) to clarify that the sales-return ratio for KCD2 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 pre-order sales for Monster Hunter: Wilds.

In January 2025, Vávra faced attacks due to KCD2's inclusion of queer representation, leading to rumors that the game might be 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 player choices and their consequences are central to the gameplay experience. He stated, "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 details about the game, visit our Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 page.