Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Director Defends DLSS 5 for Bringing Out ‘Original Artistic Vision'
Daniel Vávra, former creative director at Warhorse Studios, has defended DLSS 5’s implementation in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, pushing back against mounting criticism of Nvidia’s AI-driven neural rendering technology. Since DLSS 5’s controversial reveal in March 2026, the feature has faced backlash from gaming communities concerned about an “uncanny valley” effect that appeared to alter character faces and appearances in promotional materials.
Following a recent leak of DLSS 5 footage and screenshots that sparked renewed internet discussion, Vávra posted clarifications on X explaining the technology’s actual function. He emphasized that the leaked version “doesn’t alter the geometry of the models or the appearance of the characters in any way,” distancing it from earlier concerns. Instead, he characterized DLSS 5’s role as enhancing the “photorealistic upgrade to the character lighting model” by improving normal maps and skin texture rendering—a refinement of existing visual data rather than a generative alteration of character features.
The distinction Vávra draws is significant given the initial criticism that suggested DLSS 5 was fundamentally changing how characters looked. His statement suggests the technology works within existing character models to enhance specific visual properties like lighting and surface detail. However, the disconnect between leaked footage and Nvidia’s original presentation raises questions about what was shown versus what is actually implemented in the game.