The Steam Awards are running according to schedule, and in the meantime, the developers are continuously involved in the game. What precisely happened was that Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, the upcoming medieval RPG by Warhorse Studios, was put forward as one of the contenders via the official account of the game, which decided to make a little… suggestion. They uploaded to their Twitter profile a screenshot of the Steam Awards website where KCD2 was chosen as ‘Game of the Year’ and ‘Outstanding Story-Rich Game.’ The title? ‘Friends, make sure your Steam Awards page looks like this; otherwise, it might be broken or something ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).’ They even resorted to the classic lenny face. The communique to their community is quite clear and, to be honest, quite funny. An indirect suggestion that, just maybe, they would indeed be the ones to benefit from the votes.
It is not difficult to picture the mixed reactions of the players, since this is very common in gamers’ relationships. However, in that case, one group totally sided with the developers. Support in the form of replies turned out to be nothing less than overwhelming with statements such as ‘KCD2 better win both or it’s rigged’ and ‘Absolutely, KCD2 will always be the GOAT!’. One player even attached a screenshot depicting the same exact voting for their gratitude along with the message ‘Tudo normal por aqui’ which translates as ‘Everything normal here.’ The sense of community among the players is very obvious. It’s that kind of direct and somewhat impertinent interaction that can really make a fanbase feel like their being part of the team’s success.
But not every one was over the moon. The tweet received not only a few negative comments but also the outright hateful ones. Amongst the players, there were those who called the action ‘desperate.’ Others took the opportunity to voice their criticism of the first installment, Kingdom Come: Deliverance. A user addressed an infuriating audio stutter bug that he claimed ruined the entire game, insisting, ‘A game, no matter how good, makes no fun if you hear after ~30 minutes nothing else but Kr-Kr-Kr.’ Ouch. Now, that’s pointing out a specific problem. Another simply commented that he/she could not vote because the game had been removed from the market in his/her area. So while the developers were trying to bring together their support base, they unintentionally also opened the floodgates for some classic gamer feedback—the good, the bad, and the buggy.
Then there was the… weirder side of the replies. Some responses were strange and even offensive, making disparaging comments about the game’s content, labeling it ‘homo slop,’ etc. This was a vivid reminder of the dark side of the gaming community’s online presence. Fortunately, these unpleasant comments did not attract as much attention as the more positive or constructive ones, but their presence was certainly felt, like a troll under a bridge lurking in the replies. It is quite unfortunate, really, as it took attention away from what was otherwise a fun promotional activity.
What makes this part of the conversation even more interesting is the meta-commentary. One user responded, ‘haven’t seen ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) since 2013 tbh,’ and that is kind of true. The lenny face is indeed a thing of the past. The developer’s use of it in this manner feels very nostalgic, or maybe just slightly out of touch, depending on how one looks at it. It gives the whole thing a certain awkward charm. Is it cringe? Is it based? The internet, as usual, is undecided. Players, on the other hand, were using the thread to promote entirely different games, ‘Lemme go vote for silksong.’ The Steam Awards season indeed turns every social media thread into a little campaigning ground for platforms like PlayStation and Xbox.
In short, this small Twitter incident is the ideal representation of the current state of game marketing and community management. Developers are no longer distant figures; they are literally in the trenches together, sharing memes and inside jokes. That was the type of promotional strategy Warhorse Studios used, playful yet slightly shameless, to win fans over with their sequel in an award contest decided by player votes. Some of the audience reacted positively, appreciating the direct challenge. Others, however, the critics and trolls in particular, seized the opportunity to complain and vent their frustrations. That’s the price of engagement: on one side, you’re aiming for the hype, but on the other, you must be prepared for the heat.
So, what is the final say? Did the developers’ hints result in an influx of votes for Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 in the Steam Awards? This will only be revealed by time and the official results.
