Kingdom Come Director Defends DLSS 5 in KCD 2

Daniel Vávra, the creative director of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, has publicly defended Nvidia's DLSS 5 technology. Vávra stated that critics of the AI-driven upscaling tool have 'literally gone crazy' for labeling it as inferior 'AI slop'.

Vávra argues that DLSS 5 is essential for achieving the game's intended visual quality. He posted a comparison on social media platform X to illustrate his point. The image on the left, he explained, showed a character head compromised by the game engine's limited lighting system, which failed to render proper shadows, skin texture, and normal map details. The version processed with DLSS 5, shown on the right, displayed improved detail and corrected these flaws. 'Having no shadows from helmets on faces and fucked up normal map rendering WAS NOT OUR ORIGINAL ARTISTIC VISION,' Vávra wrote.

The Core of the Controversy

The debate extends beyond technical performance to artistic integrity. Critics worry that AI tools like DLSS 5 could overwrite a developer's creative intent in pursuit of a polished, hyper-realistic look. Some social media users challenged Vávra's assertion that the DLSS 5 result was an improvement at all. One user, Goosewasinuse, commented, 'It doesn't look that terrible here, and I can understand where Dan is coming from. My point is that it oils up characters to the nth degree for muh realism, just looks so bizarre.' Another user, Knight(Fate)1029384756, argued, 'It's not my fault you couldn't put the effort into making it better. Instead you use the machine that can't think to make an artistic choice.'

Warhorse's Contentious AI History

This is not the first time Warhorse Studios' use of AI has sparked controversy. Earlier this year, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's English language editor, Max Hejtmánek, stated publicly that the studio fired him so he could be 'replaced with AI.' This incident adds context to the current friction surrounding the studio's adoption of AI-powered tools for both content creation and technical enhancement.

The Verdict on Vision

For Vávra, the integration of DLSS 5 is a corrective measure, not a creative compromise. He positions himself as the guardian of the project's vision, stating plainly, 'I am the creative director of the game. This is our original artistic vision.' The technology, in his view, fixes inherent shortcomings of the game engine that prevent the team's artwork from being displayed as intended. The director's forceful defense highlights a growing divide in game development between embracing AI assistance and preserving traditional, human-centric artistic processes.

The discussion continues online, with Vávra's comparison serving as a focal point for arguments about fidelity, artistry, and the role of AI in game development.