The boss behind the studio that developed one in all 2025’s greatest RPGs, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, says that on-line controversies concerning the recreation and its predecessor involving illustration doubtless didn’t damage the sport’s gross sales and solely mattered to “a handful” of people who find themselves on-line 24/7. Some fast historical past. In 2017, within the lead-up to the launch of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, developer Warhorse Studios was criticized by some on-line for not together with folks of shade within the recreation. The studio defended this by claiming it was traditionally correct that in early Fifteenth-century Bohemia, particularly within the countryside the place the sport was set, it was uncommon to see non-white folks. Some students agreed, others weren’t certain, and folks on-line yelled about it, with some right-leaning avid gamers very invested in defending the studio from the “woke agenda.” Quick ahead to 2025, when a number of the individuals who had beforehand defended Warhorse’s dedication to historic accuracy have been now mad that the studio was together with extra folks of shade. The studio defined that it made sense because the sequel concerned a big metropolis that may have introduced in additional folks from world wide. There have been additionally some people offended concerning the means to have a homosexual relationship.
So, did any of this controversy have an effect on the sport gross sales? That’s what PC Gamer not too long ago requested Martin Klíma, Warhorse’s co-founder and the chief producer on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. “I’d actually, actually wish to know the reply to this one. You may actually convincingly argue each methods,” Klíma advised the outlet. “You may convincingly argue that we acquired some further visibility—that it doesn’t matter what they are saying about you, so long as they spell your title proper.” On the identical time, he stated, you would argue that “any controversy is hurtful, and also you need to converse concerning the recreation, and also you don’t need to clarify some…tangled reasoning.”
Klíma additional defined that he personally felt that the web controversies surrounding each video games “solely mattered to, actually, a handful of terminally on-line tradition warriors” and believed that they’re “an insignificant intersection with the gaming public writ giant.”
“The true gamers actually don’t care about it in any respect, and doubtless most of them by no means actually even heard about these pseudo-controversies,” stated Klíma. Contemplating the truth that Kingdom Come: Deliverance has bought over 10 million copies since 2017, and that its sequel has already bought over 4 million, I believe Klíma may be proper. It’s an excellent reminder that most individuals aren’t on-line as a lot as your favourite journalists, content material creators, or posters. That’s to not say they don’t care about issues like illustration, however they aren’t actually listening to about most of these things, and as a substitute are simply shopping for that recreation that folks stated was good or that has a cool cowl. Truthfully, I’m jealous.
