Warhorse Studios replaces translator with AI, citing cost savings
Max Hejtmanek, a Czech-to-English translator at Warhorse Studios, learned his job would be eliminated in favor of AI during a meeting on March 27. The developer is terminating his position next month as part of what management described as an effort to "make the company more effective" and "save finances."
Hejtmanek worked at the studio for nearly four years, translating Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, its DLCs, and marketing materials. He said the decision came without warning, despite past discussions about AI translation that he had opposed.
"I feel incredibly betrayed by the management of the company I've come to care about greatly these past almost 4 years," Hejtmanek wrote in a verified post on the game's official subreddit.
What this signals about workforce decisions
The move reflects a broader shift in how companies evaluate labor costs against AI capabilities. Warhorse Studios decided that translation work-which Hejtmanek had performed for years-could be handled by automated systems at lower expense.
For managers weighing similar decisions, Hejtmanek's situation illustrates the real consequences of cost-focused automation strategies. Replacing specialized work without transition planning or warning creates organizational risk beyond the immediate financial calculation.
Hejtmanek emphasized that employees across industries face similar pressures. "The growing use of AI greatly affects people in the games industry and many others," he said, urging awareness of how companies value their workforce.
The broader context
The games industry has increasingly adopted AI tools for asset generation, writing, and other production tasks. Translation-a task requiring cultural knowledge and linguistic precision-represents one of the first roles where studios have publicly replaced human workers with AI systems.
Warhorse Studios did not respond to requests for comment on the decision.
For management professionals, understanding AI for Management decisions and AI Agents & Automation implementation requires weighing both financial and organizational factors-not just the cost savings on paper.
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