Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 introduces new forum rules designed to curb toxic behavior that immediately causes toxic behavior
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 publisher Deep Silver has introduced a new code of conduct for discussions on the Steam forums, prohibiting discrimination, hate speech and harmful ideologies, and warning of possible permanent bans for those who break the rules.
“We are grateful for the vibrant and passionate discussions that take place here,” wrote developer PLAION_MY4NH. “Your love for this game and its immersive world has created a unique and thriving community. To ensure our forums remain a welcoming place for everyone, we are introducing a new set of community guidelines designed to support smooth moderation and promote meaningful and respectful discussion. “
They added that “occasional swearing” is fine – Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is an M-rated game, after all – but users are urged to “stay sane.” Other general guidelines for acceptable behavior include what’s typically found in forum rules: stay on topic, respect others, no “contemporary political or religious discussions,” and generally don’t be a jerk.
The problem with the “don’t be a jerk” approach, as anyone who has ever moderated or used an online forum can tell you, is that it sounds reasonable, but it just doesn’t work. So more specific rules have been established, and this is a pretty comprehensive list of bad behavior:
Zero tolerance for discrimination
Discrimination in any form is strictly prohibited. This includes:
- 1.1 Racism: Prejudice or hostility based on race or ethnicity.
- 1.2 Sexism: Discrimination or hostility based on sex or gender.
- 1.3 Homophobia and transphobia: Hatred or prejudice against LGBTQ+ people.
- 1.4 Ableism: Ridicule or humiliate people with disabilities.
- 1.5 Ageism: Discrimination or prejudice based on age.
- 1.6 Religious discrimination: Harassment of individuals for their faith or lack thereof, including but not limited to Islamophobia or anti-Semitism.
- 1.7 Classicism: Judging others based on their social or economic status.
- 1.8 Colorism: Bias or prejudice based on skin tone.
- 1.9 Body shaming (sizeism): Makes fun of someone’s body shape or size.
No hate speech or harmful ideologies
We oppose all forms of hate speech and dangerous ideologies. This includes:
- 2.1 White supremacy: Promoting theories of racial superiority or superiority.
- 2.2 Neo-Nazism: Promoting or supporting Nazi-related symbols, beliefs or ideologies.
- 2.3 Encouraging violence: Posts that glorify, incite, or encourage harm to individuals or groups.
- 2.4 Harassment: Repeated or targeted attacks, threats or intimidation.
- 2.5 Glorifying harmful behavior: Including, but not limited to, self-harm, suicide or abuse.
“Any posts, comments or actions that perpetuate these harmful ideologies will be removed and violators will be subject to immediate action,” wrote PLAION_MY4NH. Consequences for violating the code of conduct will range from warnings and removal of posts to temporary or permanent bans from the forum.
The original Kingdom Come: Deliverance received some criticism for being a very white game, which developer Warhorse Studios believes reflects the game’s historical background; Creative director Daniel Vavra also came under fire for making numerous statements in support of Gamergate. This led to more reactionary elements of the gaming fandom deeming the game as not “woke”, leading to some rumblings in 2024 when Warhorse stated that players “can expect a wide range of ethnicities and different characters in the sequel.” In recent days, there has been a more violent reaction to claims that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 includes an “unmissable” same-sex love scene, prominent black characters and “lectures” on feminism.
Unfortunately, the social media landscape is even more toxic now than it was when the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance came out, and with a sequel on the verge of launch, it looks like Deep Silver is trying to prevent the worst of the bad behavior before it’s released. happens. As expected, this attempt generated its own backlash:
The sad thing is that, given all this, early impressions of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 are very promising: PC Gamer’s Fraser Brown said in his preview that the game is “big, confident and extremely tactile”, which is a “strange mixture of historical drama and” The Hangover” and Joshua Volens said that time spent with him was “a lot of fun, with all sorts of weird variables influencing the new adventures I find myself on”, reminiscent of “some of the best parts of Stalker.” This looks like the game I want to play. Its launch is scheduled for February 4.