Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Devs Fired Over AI Controversy

The Rise of AI in the Gaming Industry

A translator for the upcoming ‘Kingdom Come: Deliverance II’ has reportedly been let go. Max Hejtmánek, who worked with Warhorse Studios, claims his role was made ‘obsolete’ due to the adoption of artificial intelligence.

Max had been collaborating with Warhorse Studios since 2022, primarily working on their flagship franchise game, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and its DLCs. On March 27th, at the end of his workday, he was called in and informed that he was being laid off.

Prior to this, there had been discussions about implementing AI, which Max was against. However, he had no idea that he would face immediate termination.

He was told that, in favor of using AI for all translations going forward, his position in the company would become “obsolete.” In an effort to “make the company more effective” and “save finances,” he was then promptly terminated.

Max also shared his thoughts on the use of AI. “I want you to know that the growing use of AI greatly affects people in the games industry and many others… All I want is for people to be more informed about what’s going on in the games industry behind closed doors,” he wrote.

Warhorse Studios is known for its narrative-driven, intricate storytelling and writing. Their 2025 release, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, is a pinnacle of their style.

The firing of a key translator in favor of AI-generated content shocked some observers.

AI in the Gaming Industry: Not a New Trend

With many studios looking for cost-cutting alternatives and the rise of generative AI, layoffs are becoming more common.

Last year, in July 2025, reports suggested that Microsoft’s mobile gaming studio, King (the studio behind Candy Crush), had successfully integrated AI tools. This resulted in a massive layoff of around 200 staff members. These included UX researchers and level designers. What was more concerning was that those same individuals helped in building the AI tools that replaced them.

Square Enix recently announced that by 2027, they aim to use AI for up to 70% of their Quality Assurance testing. The Japanese publishers also scaled back on outsourcing contracts and laid off their internal QA staff.