Kingdom Come Dev Talks Risks And Benefits Of AI And Losing Players If Games Are Too Difficult
Prokop Jirsa, the new creative director at Warhorse Studios, has shared his perspectives on two contentious topics in modern game development: artificial intelligence and game difficulty. In an interview with PC Gamer, Jirsa expressed opposition to AI-generated art in games, acknowledging that he shares players’ disdain for the practice. His comments come amid recent scrutiny of Warhorse, which faced accusations of firing a translator to reduce costs—raising questions about the studio’s employment practices.
Beyond AI concerns, Jirsa emphasized that Warhorse’s core design philosophy deliberately prioritizes challenge over accessibility. The studio intentionally makes their games difficult, a decision Jirsa acknowledges may alienate some players. However, he positioned this difficulty as essential to the Kingdom Come experience and a key differentiator from competitors who typically eliminate friction points.
Jirsa, who has been with Warhorse since 2014 when he joined as a designer directly from university, framed the studio’s “different” approach as central to their identity. Rather than conforming to industry trends toward easier, more accessible gameplay, Warhorse maintains their vision of intentionally challenging design.
The statements reflect a broader tension in game development between player retention and creative vision. While the studio risks losing players due to difficulty, Jirsa’s comments suggest Warhorse views this as an acceptable tradeoff to preserve their distinctive design identity and player experience.