Recently, Kingdom Come: Deliverance director Daniel Vavra has come under fire for his divisive political opinions. As reviews of the game surfaced, outlets pointed out Vavra’s prior history of siding with GamerGate back in 2014 and the controversy surrounding the game’s lack of people of color, causing some critics to factor this into their reviews or refuse to cover the game altogether.
There have been multiple personalities in gaming with controversial opinions, though it’s been suggested that Vavra’s politics have been worked into Kingdom Come, and the director may have made a deliberately exclusionary game as a result. Vavra has previously addressed the lack of people of color in the RPG, claiming that there were none in its 15th century Bohemia setting, though this assertion has been widely debated. Others have also pointed out how Kingdom Come happily steps away from realism in other areas — you can save your game using a magical potion, for instance — so the abundance of white people seems like a deliberate but not essential decision.
However, there are others who believe that placing the spotlight on Vavra is unfair, and that the game should be judged on its own merits rather than as a result of the director’s public opinions. What do you think? Do a developer’s politics or controversial opinions affect your purchase? Let us know in the comments section below, and remember — keep it respectful!
