Warhorse Studios faced a barrage of pointed questions during a Reddit AMA this week, with fans repeatedly pressing the developers on their decision to replace a human translator with artificial intelligence. The session became a contentious exchange that revealed deep frustration within the gaming community over the studio's cost-cutting move.
The controversy centers on Max Hejtmánek, a translator who was let go by the studio in March after Warhorse pivoted to AI-driven translation. Hejtmánek publicly detailed how his position was deemed "obsolete" as part of a push toward greater efficiency. He described the decision as shocking, noting that while AI translation had been discussed internally before, he never anticipated it would lead to his termination.
When fans brought up the firing during the AMA, they did so repeatedly and with visible anger. Most official responses from Warhorse fell back on an HR-approved statement that the matter involved "internal HR issues" and therefore couldn't be discussed in detail. That defensive posture seemed only to intensify frustration among participants.
Creative director Prokop Jirsa did break from the script slightly, stating that the studio is actively hiring new English translators as "actual humans" and plans to maintain at least the same number of human translators on future projects. The studio also published a pinned comment asserting that AI is not viewed as a substitute for human work and that no AI-generated content appears in the final game.
Still, fans came armed with sharp, uncomfortable questions. One asked which of the five developers on the panel could most easily be replaced by AI, and when that replacement might happen. Another suggested the team should have written their answers using ChatGPT. A third quipped about relying on a "Gemini Premium subscription" for the next game's translation.
A translator in the community expressed hurt over Hejtmánek's firing, prompting the studio to offer sympathy but little else. The backlash also referenced previous complaints that Kingdom Come: Deliverance II contained AI-generated art assets, adding fuel to the fire about the studio's broader reliance on automation.
Not every topic centered on the translator dispute. Designer Ondřej Bittner teased an upcoming project with cryptic language, calling it "near future" without specifics. Rumors of a Lord of the Rings open-world game drew only a vague acknowledgment that something large is in development. The team also discussed the controversial "Rabbit UI" stealth system, which sparked internal debate over whether players should have information their character Henry logically wouldn't possess.
Jirsa later reflected on the tension, noting that the decision to hold the AMA itself had sparked debate within the office but offered an opportunity to "clear the air." He acknowledged that while passionate fan engagement can create toxicity, it also drives meaningful conversation about the industry and the people behind it.
The session landed as Kingdom Come: Deliverance II recently earned a 2026 BAFTA Games Award for Best Narrative, a recognition that makes the AI translation controversy all the more pointed for observers tracking the tension between artistic recognition and practical labor decisions.
Author Emily Chen: "Warhorse walked into that AMA hoping to move past the translator firing and instead got reminded that gaming communities won't let studios pretend labor cuts are just business-as-usual."
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