Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 director responds to backlash over Larian AI plans

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 director Daniel Vávra has defended Larian Studios after criticism of its AI use plans

The director of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 has publicly defended Larian Studios following criticism over the company’s plans to experiment with generative AI during development of its newly announced game, Divinity.

Larian faced backlash after revealing that it intends to use generative AI for tasks such as motion capture cleaning, voice editing, concept exploration and placeholder text.

The announcement came shortly after Divinity was unveiled at The Game Awards, where excitement around the early-stage project was heightened by comments from Larian’s chief executive that the game would be “way better” than Baldur’s Gate 3.

In response to concerns, the Larian CEO stated that AI would not replace creative staff, saying, “everything is human actors; we’re writing everything ourselves.” After further criticism, he added, “Holy f**k guys we’re not ‘pushing hard’ for or replacing concept artists with AI… We have a team of 72 artists, of which 23 are concept artists, and we are hiring more. The art they create is original, and I’m very proud of what they do.”

Daniel Vávra, director of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, later addressed the controversy, saying that “Larian said they were doing something that absolutely everyone else is doing and got an insanely crazy sh**storm.”

Vávra acknowledged his own reservations while defending the broader use of the technology. “I’m no fan of AI-generated art, but anyway, it’s time to face reality. AI is here to stay with us. As frightening as it may be, that’s the way it is,” he said. He added that AI could allow developers to focus on core creative work rather than routine tasks.

“Resisting this is probably as meaningful as resisting the use of sewing machines in the textile industry,” Vávra said, questioning how audiences would distinguish between human and AI-assisted development.

The debate highlights ongoing divisions within the gaming community, where the use of AI remains a contentious issue despite increasing adoption across the industry.