After rumors last week that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was banned in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for “unskippable” Pride-centric romance scenes, the game’s creative director took to X to set the record straight.
Daniel Vávra, the Creative Director of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, has spoken out to address the swirling rumors regarding the game’s content and alleged bans in certain countries. His statement provided some clarity on several contentious claims, confirming the presence of divisive romance options while emphasizing the studio’s commitment to historical accuracy and player choice.
It is time to address wild claims some people spread that are apparently based just on one screenshot and a poorly translated tweet (Spoiler alert: contains spoilers about the story of KCD2): pic.twitter.com/1IV1kgfRgL
— Daniel Vávra ⚔ (@DanielVavra) January 19, 2025
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In a detailed response, Vávra debunked reports that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was banned in Saudi Arabia due to “unskippable scenes.”
“There are NO unskippable cutscenes in our games,” he said. “Anybody who claims otherwise never played them.” He further clarified that no country, to his knowledge, has banned the game.
Vávra then confirmed that same-sex options for in-game romance are present and notes that they were in the first game as well. However, he noted that this was optional content, explaining that players are entirely responsible for their in-game decisions.
A post on X from Daniel Vávra, the creative director of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 – X, @DanielVavra
“KCD is an RPG, you are responsible for your decisions,” the director said. “If you want Henry to try a same-sex adventure, feel free. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. All affairs are (and were in KCD1) purely optional. The characters are perfectly aware, that it was a forbidden sin.”
The inclusion of diverse characters, such as Musa, an educated noble from the Kingdom of Mali, was also explained. Vávra noted that Musa’s presence is central to the story and creates dynamic, contextually accurate interactions.
“Everything displayed corresponds to the morals and social norms of 1403 Bohemia and is only there to make an interesting story, and not at all to appeal to a ‘modern audience,’” he said.
7/10 Musa came to Bohemia with an invading army as a member of the royal court of King Sigismund, whom he met thanks to his engagement at the court of Sultan Bayezid. He’s an educated noble and renaissance man from the Kingdom of Mali.
— Daniel Vávra ⚔ (@DanielVavra) January 19, 2025
Former World of Warcraft team lead Mark Kern, known in the gaming community as Grummz, added further context by sharing details from a player who completed the game.
BREAKING LEAK:
No, Kingdom Come Deliverance is NOT woke.
I received exclusive information from someone who has completed the game which clears up many rumors.
(Note, game director Daniel Vavra JUST posted clarification, he is 100% telling it to you straight)
According to… pic.twitter.com/qbalx6P4sm
— Grummz (@Grummz) January 19, 2025
According to this source, the controversial elements have been exaggerated. Kern revealed that romantic options, including the potential for Henry to pursue a same-sex relationship, are entirely optional and require deliberate player actions over a significant portion of the game.
The player reportedly described these storylines as treated with discretion and reflective of the societal taboos of the time. Intimate scenes, including a brief moment involving Henry and another male character, were said to last mere seconds, with all cutscenes remaining skippable.
“Based on this information, I would say the whole Kingdom Come: Deliverance thing has been blown out of proportion,” Grummz said. “The game is excellent, and everything is treated in proper historical context.”
A screenshot from Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (2024), Warhorse Studios
Vávra also expressed disappointment at how some criticisms have been handled.
“We don’t want KCD to be used as clickbait by people who didn’t even play it yet,” he said. “The amount of hateful behavior is really sad and it will damage any cause associated with it.”
Will you be playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!
