diff --git a/Source/debug.cpp b/Source/debug.cpp
index 4dbae2b53dc..8f28bb4d963 100644
--- a/Source/debug.cpp
+++ b/Source/debug.cpp
@@ -1471,6 +1471,9 @@ void ValidateData()
 	assert(monfiledata[MOFILE_SNAKE].moAnimFrameLen[MA_ATTACK] == 1);                            // required by MI_Rhino
 	assert(monfiledata[MOFILE_MAGMA].moAnimFrameLen[MA_SPECIAL] == 1);                           // required by MonDoRSpAttack
 #ifdef DEBUG_DATA
+	// players
+	for (i = 0; i < NUM_CLASSES; i++)
+		assert(PlrGFXAnimLens[i][PA_WALK] == PlrGFXAnimLens[PC_WARRIOR][PA_WALK]); // required by StartWalk
 	// towners
 	for (i = 0; i < STORE_TOWNERS; i++) {
 		//const int(*gl)[2] = &GossipList[i];
diff --git a/Source/player.cpp b/Source/player.cpp
index bd246a0098a..b3026db622a 100644
--- a/Source/player.cpp
+++ b/Source/player.cpp
@@ -1304,12 +1304,9 @@ static bool StartWalk(int pnum)
 		return false;
 	}
 
-#if DEBUG_MODE
-	for (i = 0; i < NUM_CLASSES; i++)
-		assert(PlrGFXAnimLens[i][PA_WALK] == PlrGFXAnimLens[PC_WARRIOR][PA_WALK]);
-#endif
 	static_assert(TILE_WIDTH / TILE_HEIGHT == 2, "StartWalk relies on fix width/height ratio of the floor-tile.");
 	static_assert(PLR_WALK_SHIFT == MON_WALK_SHIFT, "To reuse MWVel in StartWalk, PLR_WALK_SHIFT must be equal to MON_WALK_SHIFT.");
+	// assert(PlrGFXAnimLens[plr._pClass][PA_WALK] == PlrGFXAnimLens[PC_WARRIOR][PA_WALK]);
 	assert(PlrGFXAnimLens[PC_WARRIOR][PA_WALK] <= lengthof(MWVel));
 	assert(PlrGFXAnimLens[PC_WARRIOR][PA_WALK] == 8); // StartWalk relies on fix walk-animation length to calculate the x/y velocity
 	mwi = MWVel[PlrGFXAnimLens[PC_WARRIOR][PA_WALK] - (plr._pIWalkSpeed == 0 ? 0 : (1 + plr._pIWalkSpeed)) - 1];