Warhorse Studios Appears To Issue Response To 'Kingdom Come: Deliverance II' Being Banned In Saudi Arabia
Warhorse Studios appeared to issue a response to the game reportedly getting banned in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi-based outlet True Gaming reported the game was banned in Saudi Arabia, “We have received official confirmation that Kingdom Come: Deliverance II has not been cleared for release in Saudi Arabia by the General Authority for Media Regulation.”
The outlet added, “The reason is that it violates one of the terms of the classification and clearance systems for video games, and the publisher's unwillingness to make the required modification to the content.”
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It is unclear at this time what term the game violated. There was a rumor that it was banned for “unskippable gay scenes.”
That rumor was reported by VGA4A on X, “Urgent and official: Kingdom Come Deliverance II banned in Saudi Arabia, due to unskippable gay scenes in story mode.”
However, the original Arabic can be translated in a number of different ways as a source informed Fandom Pulse. It can be translated as saying it is “showing anomaly scenes that cannot be tolerated,” or “unskippable scenes of deviance in story mode,” or “showing deviance scenes that cannot be tolerated.”
Of note, in the outlet’s coverage on its website, machine translation does not mention the term “gay.” Instead it notes the outlet reported, “It seems that the picture has become clear now, as the fate of the game will be to be banned from publication in the region”
The article added, “The game has been banned in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia because it contains an immoral scene that promotes hidden agendas in video games.”
Furthermore, it noted, “The source also indicated that the game developer refused to release a revised version specific to the region, which led to the ban decision.”
Another Saudi outlet, SaudiGamer.com also made no mention of “gay.”
It reported, “Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 has been officially banned in Saudi Arabia, and the reason seems to be a sex scene between two people, with no ability to cancel or override the scene, and as we've learned, it's more than a minute long. The developer does not appear to be working on a Middle Eastern version at this time.”
At the end of the studio’s most recent developer stream Lead Designer Prokop Jirsa stated, “If you want to know anything about our game, you can watch it by yourself. Really, it was a bold move by marketing when we send the review codes because we allowed everyone to use their own footage. So if you want to know more, if you want to research, really search the internet, find your favorite YouTuber, check his gameplay. Don’t trust only us. Just watch other people. Wait for reviews. And I’m pretty sure you’re really love what we’re offering.”
PR Manager Tobias Stolz-Zwilling then concluded, “I think that’s a nice ending. Trust us, and don’t believe everything you read on the internet.”
What do you make of these comments from Warhorse Studios?
Let's see what it will turn out to be. The way alternative translations look - "hidden agendas", "scenes that cannot be tolerated", etc. - could also point to other aspects of the game, considering the period in which it is set. Especially since it will feature Emperor Sigismund, known for his two crusades and while the focus will most likely be on his wars against the Hussites, there might very well be references not to Middle-Eastern liking. Or it might just be some explicit scenes they asked Warhorse to remove, who knows? We'll see soon enough.
I think it’s waaaay too early to call it “woke” or assuming there’s some kind of homo/degeneracy in it.