Embark Studios has started replacing some of ARC Raiders’ AI-generated voice lines with recordings from human actors, reversing one of the game’s most criticized launch decisions.
In his gamesindustry.biz interview, studio head Patrick Söderlund said the game now has fewer AI voice lines than it did at launch, after the team re-recorded some dialogue post-release with real performers.
AI usage was one of the few consistent complaints hanging over ARC Raiders when it launched last October, as the extraction shooter released to a strong reception overall, but its use of AI-powered text-to-speech drew immediate pushback from players and voice actors. Especially for a game that was sold as a premium title rather than a free-to-play one.
ARC Raiders’ Steam page still carries an AI-generated content disclosure stating that procedural and AI-based tools may be used during development to assist with content creation.
Embark’s current position should not be considered a rollback of the company’s previous infatuation with AI. Söderlund said the studio still uses licensed text-to-speech in select cases, mainly for voice lines that are less central to immersion, the ping system audio being the main example. The studio also keeps using AI elsewhere during development. However, he also said that actors are paid for their booth time and that some are additionally compensated for approving the use of their voices through text-to-speech.
While AI usage was the biggest criticism ARC Raiders has received, it didn’t meaningfully harm the game, as both the sales and scores for the game remained consistently high. Embark continues to support the game with meaningful updates, and it has enjoyed high online numbers even during the Marathon’s release. If you’re interested in playing an extraction shooter and can’t decide between these two games, we have a handy guide that can help you make an informed choice.
Hopefully, Embark Studios continues to respect the man-made work and skill being put into this industry, even if it never goes back on AI usage in general. AI topic remains a loud one even this year: recently, the creator of Kingdom Come Deliverance, Dan Vávra, called for better integration of AI into dev processes so that we get more good games quicker.
