Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 isn't just bigger, it's more diverse, with Warhorse adding a 'wide range of ethnicities and different characters'

GamesRPGKingdom Come: Deliverance 2Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 isn’t just bigger, it’s more diverse, with Warhorse adding a ‘wide range of ethnicities and different characters’When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Warhorse Studios)

First-person combat

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 wasrevealed yesterday, and is set to be a considerably larger and more comprehensive representation of medieval life. As part of this, it’s set to address one of the more controversial elements of the first game, its lack of diversity.

For context, the original game was criticised for including no people of colour beyond a handful of Turkic Cumans. In response, Warhorse vociferously defended its position based on the grounds of historical accuracy. In a statement from 2018, Daniel Vávraclaimedthe nationality of its characters “reflects what we know about Bohemia in 1403” which included “entire family trees and property rights”. Vavra admitted that “the situation at the time looked more heterogeneous in some other countries”, but that, for the specific area of Bohemia the game represented, there were no people of colour around at the time.

This stance became the topic of some debate among historians. Some concurred that the ethnic representation of the area Kingdom Come depicted made sense given its primarily rural nature. Others felt that absence of proof did not constitute proof of absence.

With the sequel, Warhorse does not explicitly state that its philosophy has changed. In its response to IGN, the studio explains that “the story and plot of KCD has evolved—it’s darker, deeper and more cinematic, yet also crueller with pivotal decisions and plot twists that challenge the player’s conscience.” More broadly, the studio states it is “trying to depict a realistic, immersive, and believable medieval world that is being reconstructed to the best of our knowledge”.

This largely echoes its position on the first game, only the setting has been expanded to include areas where there is stronger evidence for cosmopolitanism. That said, Warhorse does note that, for its research, the studio is “very closely working together with universities, historians, museums, reenactors, and a group of experts from different ethnicities or religious beliefs” so perhaps the studio is drawing its historically ‘accurate’ representation from a broader pool of research.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

Whether or not Warhorse’s stance on the knotty issue of historical accuracy has shifted, the upshot is that KCD 2 will be a more diverse game than the original, which is a good thing. It seems like we won’t have long to wait before finding out how exactly Warhorse has approached this issue, as the sequel is apparently due to land later this year.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly attributed a quote regarding the Silk Road, which was also mistaken about its route.

More about rpg20 hours in, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a mad, systems-driven sandbox that captures some of the best parts of games like StalkerFinal Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their altsLatestHow to feed pegasus in Disney Dreamlight ValleySee more latest►

More about rpg

20 hours in, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a mad, systems-driven sandbox that captures some of the best parts of games like StalkerFinal Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their alts

Henry chokes out a farmer while wearing absurd spectacles.

20 hours in, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a mad, systems-driven sandbox that captures some of the best parts of games like Stalker

Alisaie, a side character in Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail, folds her arms with a confident smirk on her face.

Final Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their alts

LatestHow to feed pegasus in Disney Dreamlight ValleySee more latest►

Latest

How to feed pegasus in Disney Dreamlight Valley

A players character and a winged horse in Mythopia in Disney Dreamlight Valley

How to feed pegasus in Disney Dreamlight Valley

See more latest►

Most PopularHarrowing report alleges years of horrific abuse at Brandoville Studios, an Indonesian support studio that worked on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and The Last of Us RemakeTencent says it’s not a Chinese military company and is willing to sue the US Department of Defense if it isn’t removed from a blacklistAll Zenless Zone Zero 1.5 livestream codesAsus reveals three new Slash Travel Bags for carting around your ROG Ally—however, none of them are particularly fashion forwardToday’s Wordle answer for Friday, January 10We may not have a roadmap or balance patch just yet, but at least Path of Exile 2’s bugfix patch notes are funnyDeus Ex: Mankind Divided writer didn’t like the ending either: ‘Nothing is resolved’It seems like Square’s finally consistently taking the PC ports of Final Fantasy seriouslyLike a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii looks more like a zany RGG take on Black Flag than I dared hopeThe most important tool in Remedy’s new co-op FPS is the shower: ‘Saving water is essential’If you missed it over the holidays, this noir Half-Life 2 mod turns you into a hardboiled detective in Prohibition-era Chicago

Most Popular

Harrowing report alleges years of horrific abuse at Brandoville Studios, an Indonesian support studio that worked on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and The Last of Us Remake

Tencent says it’s not a Chinese military company and is willing to sue the US Department of Defense if it isn’t removed from a blacklist

All Zenless Zone Zero 1.5 livestream codes

Asus reveals three new Slash Travel Bags for carting around your ROG Ally—however, none of them are particularly fashion forward

Today’s Wordle answer for Friday, January 10

We may not have a roadmap or balance patch just yet, but at least Path of Exile 2’s bugfix patch notes are funny

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided writer didn’t like the ending either: ‘Nothing is resolved’

It seems like Square’s finally consistently taking the PC ports of Final Fantasy seriously

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii looks more like a zany RGG take on Black Flag than I dared hope

The most important tool in Remedy’s new co-op FPS is the shower: ‘Saving water is essential’

If you missed it over the holidays, this noir Half-Life 2 mod turns you into a hardboiled detective in Prohibition-era Chicago

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals