There is trouble over the role-playing game “Kingdom Come Deliverance 2” (Steam; PS5, Xbox – Release on February 4, 2025). A YouTube video accuses the game of being “woke” now and thereby alienating its customer base. Pre-orders on Steam have decreased. The game’s head, Daniel Vávra, comments on the allegations.
This is the situation: The role-playing game Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is being accused by some influencers and users of being “too woke” now, meaning it corresponds too much to a modern, leftist zeitgeist:
- There is a “skippable cutscene” with homoerotic content, and a gay affair is possible for the protagonist Henry anyway.
- Part 2 has a significantly more diverse cast than Part 1. The character “Musa,” a nobleman from the Kingdom of Mali, is black.
- Woke tendencies have also been observed in the environment of the game.
Therefore, as stated in a YouTube video from January 19, 2025, pre-sales have declined. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 was supposed to be a hope for gamers because it stands against the miserable, soft woke mainstream.
Game Head is Considered Close to Gamergate
Why is this topic so sensitive? There was excitement around the first part of Kingdom Come Deliverance in 2018 because it was criticized for being “not diverse” enough. GameStar dealt with the topic back then.
The head of the studio was praised by some influencers for not succumbing to the woke zeitgeist. He received the highest praise from Asmongold for his “strictly cool anti-woke stance” (via YouTube). The developer is “based” – the opposite of woke. A totally correct guy.
Now, however, the very people who praised the head of the studio back then fear that he might now yield and capitulate.
Studio Head Defends Against Allegations
This is what the head says: In a long thread on Twitter, Daniel Vávra explains:
There are no “non-skippable cutscenes” in the game.
No one forced them to use a more diverse cast, and nothing is being done that is forced.
There were already gay characters in the first part.
Kingdom Come Deliverance is a role-playing game: Anyone who wants to have a romantic adventure with a character of the same sex can do so with the protagonist Henry. But they don’t have to. All affairs are optional.
The first part depicted a village, while the second part now depicts a big city, and the population there is simply more diverse.
The character Musa, who is criticized as “too diverse,” came to Bosnia for understandable reasons and is depicted as a “very unusual” character. Musa’s presence is therefore meaningful and not forced.
What about the pre-orders? According to the head of Warhorse Studios, pre-orders have not declined but remained the same. The hype around the game has just slightly diminished, which is completely natural since new games that are on sale have entered the charts. The hype for Monster Hunter has also decreased. That’s all quite normal.
Influencers and Gamers Threaten Love Withdrawal
This is what’s behind it. In the background, it resonates that the developer Vávra showed solidarity with Gamergate in 2018. Therefore, he was praised by many influencers from this direction, who are now reacting in shock to whether everything is still “stable”.
They threaten that if he now also softens and adopts political correctness, they will withdraw their love and then their pre-orders. Recently, exactly those influencers rejoiced over the exit of the head of Dragon Age: The Veilguard: Lady behind Dragon Age: The Veilguard leaves BioWare and some opinion leaders rejoice
