AI Replaces Translator at Warhorse Studios | Kingdom Come 2
A translator who worked on the upcoming video game Kingdom Reach: Deliverance II alleges he was terminated from his position at Warhorse Studios after voicing concerns about the company’s plans to utilize artificial intelligence for all localization efforts. Max Hejtmánek, a Czech-to-English translator and editor, detailed the circumstances of his departure in a post to Reddit on Saturday, March 27, 2026.
Hejtmánek claims he was informed during a meeting that his role was being made “obsolete” in an effort to “build the company more effective” and “save finances.” According to his account, the studio intends to replace human translators with AI for all future translation operate, including dialogue, quest logs, item names, and marketing materials. He had worked at Warhorse Studios from July 2022 until his termination this March.
“Yesterday, March 27th 2026, with no forewarning, I was invited to a meeting and promptly told that, in an effort to ‘make the company more effective’ and ‘save finances’, as of next month, my position at the company would become ‘obsolete’ in favour of using AI for all translations going forward,” Hejtmánek wrote. He added that while discussions about AI translation had occurred previously, he never anticipated it would directly result in job loss.
The moderators of the Kingdom Come subreddit reportedly verified Hejtmánek’s identity, according to reports from Polygon and GamesIndustry.biz. His LinkedIn profile confirms his employment at Warhorse Studios for nearly four years.
Hejtmánek expressed his disappointment, stating, “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.” He similarly emphasized the broader implications for the games industry, stating, “I aim for you to recognize that the growing use of AI greatly affects people in the games industry and many others, and I thought you should know how much the company that makes the games you love value the work of their employees, not to mention the environment.”
He concluded by requesting that fans refrain from harassing Warhorse staff or leaving negative reviews for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, stating his intention was simply to inform the public about the situation. “I won’t be breaking my NDA, of course, nor am I looking for my job back or to start legal issues, but you can be damn sure I won’t keep quiet about my experience,” he wrote.
As of Tuesday, March 31, 2026, neither Warhorse Studios nor its publisher, Plaion, have publicly commented on the allegations. Requests for comment sent to representatives of both companies remain unanswered.
The use of AI in game development has become a contentious issue, with developers facing criticism for implementing generative AI in various aspects of game creation, as evidenced by recent backlash against Crimson Desert’s use of AI-generated art assets.