Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Developer Warns AI Is Replacing Staff

The developer behind the critically acclaimed Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is reportedly shifting its entire localization strategy toward artificial intelligence. This revelation follows a growing wave of industry scrutiny regarding the displacement of creative professionals by generative AI tools.

Max Hejtmánek, a veteran Czech-to-English translator and editor, recently took to Reddit to disclose that he had been blindsided by a sudden termination from Warhorse Studios. Hejtmánek, who was instrumental in crafting the dialogue, quest logs, and marketing copy for the sequel and its upcoming expansions, claimed his role was eliminated in favor of automated systems.

“On March 27th, 2026, I was summoned to an unannounced meeting and informed that my position had become ‘obsolete,'” Hejtmánek shared. He noted that the studio cited a desire to “optimize efficiency” and “reduce overhead” by transitioning all future translation work to AI. “It was a massive shock. While I had vocally opposed the internal discussions regarding AI translation in the past, I never imagined it would result in the loss of my livelihood.”

Public records and Hejtmánek’s LinkedIn profile confirm his tenure at Warhorse Studios spanned from July 2022 through early 2026. Furthermore, moderators of the Kingdom Come community have verified his credentials. As of now, Warhorse Studios and its parent publisher, Plaion, have remained silent on the matter, though requests for comment have been submitted.

The integration of artificial intelligence remains one of the most polarizing topics in modern game development. Despite the technology’s prominence at major industry summits like GDC, the consumer response is often overwhelmingly negative. This backlash was recently mirrored by the community’s reaction to Crimson Desert, which faced heavy criticism for utilizing generative AI in its environmental art assets.

The news is particularly jarring for fans of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, a title that dominated the 2025 Game Awards with nominations for Game of the Year and Best Narrative. For a franchise celebrated for its historical authenticity and rich writing, the pivot to AI-led localization feels like a departure from its creative roots. However, the move may have been foreshadowed; the studio’s leadership recently made headlines for vigorously defending Nvidia’s DLSS 5 technology against its detractors.

Source: Polygon