Another day, another studio making headlines for all the wrong reasons when it comes to AI, and this time it’s Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 developer Warhorse Studios in the hot seat.
Max Hejtmánek, the studio’s in-house voice-over director and Czech to English translator, has alleged he was suddenly fired on 27th March 2026, with no prior warning. According to Hejtmánek, who shared his story on the Kingdom Come subreddit, he was told his position had become “obsolete in favour of using AI for all translations going forward” as part of efforts to “make the company more effective” and “save finances.”
Incredibly betrayed by the Warhorse Studios management
“This came as a huge shock to me, as though the discussion about using AI for translating had frequently come up in the past, something I was always strongly and vocally against, but never to the extent that it might actually cost me my job in the future. It had, of course, crossed my mind many times, but I naively thought my work at WHS was valued enough that I might not be at immediate risk.”
Hejtmánek says he feels “incredibly betrayed by the management” and is heartbroken to be leaving colleagues he worked alongside daily. He’s also been clear that his account isn’t a call for review bombing or harassment; he simply wants people “more informed” about what’s happening in the industry behind closed doors.
Warhorse Studios declined to address the specifics, telling Kotaku only that it wouldn’t “discuss individual situations publicly” out of respect for colleagues.
It’s worth noting that the Warhorse Studios founder, Daniel Vávra has previously spoken openly in favour of AI, stating that if it helps him make games faster with a smaller team, he’s “all for it.” He’s also previously defended other studios that experimented with GenAI tools.
With a majority of studios now using GenAI yet a majority also believing it’s harming the industry, per the GDC State of the Game Industry Report 2026, the debate around AI replacing human roles in game development isn’t going away anytime soon.
For the latest updates like this, check out the gaming news section!
