Henry is back, and he’s still a mess if you want him to be. In the first game, we all remember the struggle of being a peasant who couldn't read or hold a sword straight. But Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 ill repute mechanics take that social friction and crank it up to a level that feels genuinely stressful. It’s not just about a bar sliding left or right anymore.
Warhorse Studios has been pretty vocal about making Kuttenberg feel alive. If you go around stabbing guards or lifting purses in broad daylight, the city isn't just going to give you a fine and let you go. People remember faces. The "Ill Repute" system is basically the game's way of telling you that your actions have a long, annoying tail that will wag every time you try to buy a loaf of bread.
Honestly, the sheer scale of the sequel changes how we look at reputation. In the original, you could sort of "reset" by paying indulgences or just staying away from a village for a week. In the sequel, the consequences are stickier.
The Social Death Spiral of Ill Repute
What most players get wrong is thinking that "Ill Repute" is just a bounty system like in Skyrim or GTA. It isn’t. In Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, ill repute is a reflection of your social standing in specific districts. If you have a high ill repute score in the wealthier parts of Kuttenberg, the NPCs won't just call the guards; they might refuse to talk to you entirely.
Imagine trying to finish a main quest where you need info from a local merchant, but because you got caught poaching or brawling in the tavern, he looks at you like you’re dirt. That’s the reality here.
It’s personal.
The AI in the sequel is built on a "memory" architecture. If you're known for being a troublemaker, the NPCs change their routine. Shopkeepers might hire extra muscle. Guards might shadow you as you walk down the street. It’s a claustrophobic feeling that really nails the medieval "outsider" vibe.
🔗 Read more: Free games free online: Why we're still obsessed with browser gaming in 2026
Breaking Down the Notoriety Factors
You've got several layers to manage. First, there’s your immediate "heat." If you just killed someone, you're a marked man. But the long-term Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 ill repute is more about the vibe you leave behind.
- Visibility matters. If you commit a crime and no one sees you, you’re technically fine, right? Not exactly. If items go missing and you’re the only new face in town, the suspicion levels rise.
- The Snitch Factor. NPCs will actively run to find a guard. They don't just stand there and scream. They have paths they follow to find help, and if you don't intercept them, your reputation is toast.
- Brandings and Scars. While not every crime leaves a physical mark, your gear does. Wearing bloody armor or carrying stolen goods makes you a magnet for "random" searches.
Why You Can't Just Pay Your Way Out
In a lot of RPGs, gold is the universal solvent. It dissolves all problems. In KCD2, money helps, but it doesn't fix a ruined name.
Warhorse developer Daniel Vávra has often spoken about the "historical realism" of the social classes. A peasant Henry with a purse full of stolen Groshen is still a peasant. If your Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 ill repute is high, the church won't just take a few coins and wipe the slate clean. You might have to perform actual penance. Or, you might just have to live with the fact that certain parts of the city are effectively "closed" to you because everyone hates your guts.
It’s a bit of a shock compared to the first game. Back then, you could grind your way back into the good graces of Rattay. In the sequel, the memory of the NPCs is longer. If you’re a known thief, expect the prices at shops to double. Expect the guards to stop you every five minutes to check your pockets.
It becomes a game of management. Do you want to be the "good" Henry who can walk anywhere, or the "outlaw" Henry who has to stick to the back alleys and talk to the shadier elements of society? Both are viable, but the outlaw path is significantly harder because the world is more reactive.
The Branding System
One of the more brutal additions discussed by the devs is the idea of permanent or semi-permanent consequences for major crimes. If you’re caught for something serious, the punishment isn't just a "Game Over" screen or a jail stay. You might carry the stigma for the rest of the game. This feeds directly into the ill repute system.
💡 You might also like: Catching the Blue Marlin in Animal Crossing: Why This Giant Fish Is So Hard to Find
People react to your physical state. If you look like a criminal, they treat you like one.
Managing Your Reputation Without Losing Your Mind
So, how do you actually lower your ill repute? It’s not about a single "fix-it" button. It’s about a series of small, consistent actions that prove you aren't a total menace to society.
- Charity and Church. Giving to the poor or donating to the local church can slowly tick your reputation back up. It’s a slow burn, though.
- Community Service. Taking on quests that help the local populace—like clearing out bandit camps—is the fastest way to show the locals you’re on their side.
- Appearance Management. Wash your clothes. Seriously. Looking like a nobleman makes people less likely to suspect you of being the guy who broke into the bakery last night.
- Time. Sometimes, you just need to leave. Go to another town. Let the heat die down. In the sequel, different regions have different reputation tracks, so you can be a hero in one place and a villain in another.
The beauty of the Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 ill repute system is that it forces you to care about the world. You can't just treat NPCs like vending machines for quests and loot. They are part of a social fabric, and if you tear that fabric, you’re the one who ends up cold.
The "Shadow" Reputation
There is also a secondary layer: your reputation among the criminal underworld. If your "official" reputation is in the gutter, your "underground" reputation might actually rise. This opens up different questlines. You might find that certain fences or black-market dealers only talk to you once you’ve proven you’re not a "lawful" lapdog.
This creates a fascinating trade-off. You lose the ability to buy top-tier armor from the reputable smith, but maybe you gain access to a guy who sells poisoned arrows or "hot" items you can’t get anywhere else.
What Really Happens When You Hit Rock Bottom
If your ill repute gets too high, the game changes. It becomes a survival sim.
📖 Related: Ben 10 Ultimate Cosmic Destruction: Why This Game Still Hits Different
Guards will stop asking for fines and start drawing swords on sight. Citizens will run away when they see you coming. You’ll find yourself sleeping in the woods because no innkeeper will take your money. It’s a lonely way to play, but for some, that’s the draw.
The sequel handles this with way more nuance than the first game. There are "shame" mechanics where Henry might have to sit in the stocks. This isn't just a cutscene; it affects your stats. It affects your stamina and your "social" skills for a set period.
It’s meant to be a deterrent, but it’s also a deep role-playing tool.
The Role of Speech and Charisma
Your stats play a massive role in how ill repute affects you. A Henry with high Speech can sometimes talk his way out of a bad reputation—or at least delay the consequences. You can gaslight guards, convince witnesses they didn't see what they thought they saw, or use your status to bully people into silence.
But if your Charisma is low and your "Conspicuous" stat is high, you're going to have a bad time.
Practical Steps for Handling Ill Repute in KCD2
If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. The instinct is often to kill the witnesses, but in this game, that usually just creates more witnesses or attracts the attention of the higher-level "investigative" guards.
- Shift your wardrobe immediately. If you’re caught doing something shady in a specific set of armor, change your look. The AI is less likely to connect the "thief in black leather" with the "knight in shining plate" if you change before they see your face again.
- Pay your fines early. Don't let them accumulate. A small fine is a nuisance; a massive bounty is a death sentence.
- Identify the "Lead" NPCs. Some NPCs have more sway over the town's opinion than others. Helping a local priest or a prominent merchant will give your reputation a bigger boost than helping a random laborer.
- Use the night. If your reputation is in the toilet, do your business at night. The sequel’s lighting and stealth mechanics are much more refined, making it possible to navigate the city without being spotted by the "law-abiding" citizens who hate you.
The Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 ill repute system is a challenge, not a bug. It’s designed to make you feel the weight of your choices in a way few other RPGs dare to do. You aren't a superhero; you're just a guy named Henry, and if Henry acts like a jerk, the world is going to treat him like one.
Keep your sword clean and your hands out of other people's pockets—unless you're really, really good at it.