Kingdom Come Dev Fired Its Translator and Replaced Him With AI
Warhorse Studios dropped its English localization editor in favor of AI tools to cut costs. Max Hejtmánek says he feels betrayed by the studio he loved.
Warhorse Studios, the Czech developer behind the critically acclaimed Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, has sparked serious backlash in the gaming community after firing its English localization editor and replacing him with AI tools — all in the name of cutting costs.
Max Hejtmánek, who served as the game's Czech-to-English translator, editor, and voice-over director since 2022, went public with the news, saying he was told his role was now "obsolete." Fans and developers alike have not taken it well.
How It All Went Down
On March 27, 2026, Hejtmánek was called into a meeting with no warning and told that Warhorse Studios would be "using AI for all translations going forward." The decision, he was told, was made to "make the company more effective" and "save finances."
He later updated his LinkedIn profile to reflect his departure and opened up publicly about the experience:
"I feel incredibly betrayed by the management of the company I've come to care about."
Hejtmánek noted that at least one other in-house localizer still remains at the studio — for now. But the implication was clear: more cuts could follow.
Warhorse's Non-Answer
The studio's response to the backlash was a masterclass in corporate non-speak. Their official statement: "Warhorse Studios has always been a talent-driven studio, and we deeply value the people who shape our work."
That's a pretty awkward thing to say when you just laid off the person who shaped your game's entire English voice and written identity.
No specifics were given about which AI tools will replace human localizers, what quality control measures will exist, or how this affects future Kingdom Come projects.
Why This Actually Matters
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was praised for its rich, authentic dialogue and nuanced writing — a lot of which came from careful human localization. This isn't just about one job. It's about whether games that pride themselves on storytelling can hold up that quality once they hand the pen to a machine.
Localization isn't just translation. It's cultural adaptation, tone matching, humor, wordplay, and keeping a character's voice consistent across thousands of lines of dialogue. Hejtmánek wasn't just converting Czech to English — he was the voice-over director, shaping how the entire English cast performed.
The gaming industry has been wrestling with AI's role in creative work for a while now. But replacing a key creative contributor on a GOTY-nominated title hits differently than swapping out a background texture or QA tester.
The Player Reaction
The backlash was swift and loud. Across Reddit, social media, and gaming forums, players expressed frustration — some threatening to skip future Warhorse titles, others demanding transparency about exactly how AI will be used going forward.
There's also real concern about what this signals industry-wide. If a studio the size of Warhorse — fresh off a massive critical and commercial success — is already replacing human talent with AI to trim costs, what does that mean for smaller studios and independent localization professionals?
What Comes Next
It's unclear how the shift to AI translation will affect any future Kingdom Come: Deliverance content, expansions, or sequels. Warhorse hasn't shared specifics about the AI transition, and the silence is raising more questions than answers.
For now, Hejtmánek's story has become a flashpoint in the ongoing conversation about AI's place in game development. It almost certainly won't be the last one.