Kingdom Come: Deliverance Says Everyone Uses AI In Game Development

Kingdom Come: Deliverance Director Goes On Pro Gen AI Rant: "Everyone Uses It" Published Sep 1, 2026, 8:06 AM EDT Through a mod, gamers have been able to try out a version of Nvidia's controversial DLSS 5 before its official release. This hasn't done anything to help the tech's reputation as an AI slop filter, as its AI-powered "improvements" to game visuals often produce uncanny results, conflicting with the developers' original vision. However, the tech has one public supporter in the industry: Daniel Vávra. He is best known as the director of both of the Kingdom Come: Deliverance games, and often weighs in on discourse in the industry. This has been no exception, with Vávra praising DLSS 5 while sharing the results it produces with Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and arguing back against fans who want generative AI nowhere near game development. Kingdom Come: Deliverance Director Says DLSS 5 Matches His Vision This all kicked off when Vávra used character models in KCD2 to defend DLSS 5. He said that because the AI filter didn't change the model's geometry, it didn't go against the artists' vision, and actually looked closer to how the model would have looked when the artist created it. "I often criticised the character artists’ work when certain faces in the game looked lacking in detail and plasticity, and they’d often show me that it looked fine on their computers and that the problem was with the lighting in the game," says Vávra. "Well, now it looks right in the game, too! This is how those faces were supposed to look. The AI isn’t making anything up." While this won some people over, others pushed back, showing examples where DLSS 5 changed character models dramatically. Others said this was a moot point, because he had not provided the original render he mentioned for comparison, so we can't see if this is really what the artist would have wanted. In response to the pushback, Vávra made more posts in support of using AI in game development. "I’m retired for now, sipping whiskey, and having a great time, so I don’t give a f**k," he said. "The whole AI situation is really funny. A very vocal group of people hates it, and absolutely every developer is terrified that they’ll come after them, so they all swear up and down that they definitely don’t use any AI. The reality? Of course that EVERYONE uses it! Every one! [sic]" He doubles down on that last point. "Programmers can’t get anything done without it anymore. Most developers are building their own AI tools for just about everything," he says. "It can generate high-quality character models, it helps animators, and it’s used by concept artists, 3D artists, screenwriters, and designers... Research, writing, ideas development, concepts... Even people who don’t know how to program use it to create tools that programmers never had time to code for them." To round off, he then posted a meme, parodying the usual "your AI slop bores me" image. Instead, his reads "your human slop bores me", which has only upset fans further. While Vávra says he has backed away from game development, this is not the first time that his studio, Warhorse, has been at the centre of an AI controversy. Earlier this year, a former translator at Warhorse claimed he was fired after his role was replaced by AI. Warhorse responded by saying it is a "talent-driven" studio and did not confirm or deny whether this translator was replaced by AI. Other studios have found themselves in hot water over their use of generative AI. Larian had to walk back on its plans to use generative AI in its conceptual stage for Divinity, after intense backlash. Even Game of the Year winner Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lost out on an award over AI assets being found in-game before they were later removed. Released February 4, 2025 ESRB Mature 17+ / Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity Developer(s) Warhorse Studios Publisher(s) Deep Silver Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is an exhilarating Action RPG, set amidst the chaos of a civil war in 15th Century Bohemia. You are Henry of Skalitz – an ordinary man doing extraordinary things – caught in a gripping tale of revenge, betrayal, and discovery as he embarks on an epic journey, 'from a humble blacksmith's forge to the court of Kings', searching for purpose in this beautiful but brutal medieval world. From bustling city streets to lush forests, explore this open-world Medieval Europe through an unforgettable adventure filled with action, thrills, and wonder. Genre(s) RPG, Action-Adventure, Open-World