Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Team Tired of Culture Wars
The medieval RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has been the center of controversy as its release approaches. The Warhorse Studios team has expressed their discomfort with the game being made part of the culture wars. Tobias Stolz-Zwilling, the studio’s global PR manager, said the development team had no specific agenda and were simply trying to make an entertaining game.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Caught in the Middle of Culture Wars
The first game in the series, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, was criticized for its lack of historical accuracy and diversity before its release in 2017. Some defended the game’s lack of minority characters, while others supported this in the name of “historical realism.” However, these controversies overshadowed the game’s original purpose.
Now, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is being criticized by the same groups for offering a more diverse cast of characters and a gay romance option. Stolz-Zwilling summarized the situation by saying, “We’re always branded in some way, but we just want to make a good game.”
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 takes place in Kuttenberg, an important city in Bohemia. This makes it natural for the game to include a wider variety of characters. Ondrej Bittner, one of the studio’s lead designers, said, “Kuttenberg was an important city of the Holy Roman Empire. Therefore, it was inevitable to encounter people from different ethnic groups and beliefs.” The game features Italian, German, and Jewish characters. It also provides an in-depth look at how these characters see the world.
The studio’s research aims to provide more historical accuracy and detail by improving the foundation of the first game. For example, the Cuman mercenaries, who were only seen as enemies in the first game, are now treated more deeply with their motivations and stories.
Stolz-Zwilling stated that the studio is tired of being associated with these discussions, saying, “In an ideal world, we would not want to be involved in any of these discussions.” Warhorse Studios emphasized that the game focuses on telling a historical story and providing an enjoyable experience for players, regardless of criticism. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is expected to attract attention with its innovative storytelling and different character perspectives. However, the developers want the game to be seen as a production that players will enjoy rather than being the center of political debate.
