Polish actor Milogost Reczek, who famously portrayed Ripperdoc Viktor Vektor in a number of main and side quests in Cyberpunk 2077, passed away back in 2021.
However, in an exciting development, CD Projekt Red revealed that, with Reczek’s family’s blessing, they made the decision to use artificial intelligence to replicate the deceased actor’s voice.
The developers were initially thinking of replacing the actor for the recent Phantom Liberty expansion and re-recording his lines in the original game, but they decided that they “didn’t like this approach”.
Talking about it, localisation director Mikolaj Szwed explained that using AI provided a way to “keep his performance in the game and pay tribute to his wonderful performance as Viktor Vektor”, calling him “one of the best Polish voice talents”.
Gear up, Agents! It’s time for the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Launch Trailer!
— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) September 25, 2023
Get ready to play — and try not to get played. 😏#Cyberpunk2077 #PhantomLiberty pic.twitter.com/JmwHVl9YK1
Szwed explained that they tried their best to be as ethical as possible. The process saw the team hire another voice actor to perform the lines, before they used a software named Reespeecher to alter the replacement actor’s voice and make it match the voice of Reczek.
The use of artificial intelligence has been a highly divisive topic across the entertainment industry, with members of creative communities concerned about their work being stolen and misused.
Many are also worried about the AI advancements leaving them unemployed, as studios may attempt to cut their costs by replacing real-life talent with virtual assistance.
Recent months have seen members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), which is the union that represents American actors, overwhelmingly support strike action targeting video games.
So far, negotiations haven’t reached a conclusion, as SAG-AFTRA believes the terms on offer don’t address “some of the most critical” issues, “including wages that keep up with inflation, protections around exploitative uses of artificial intelligence, and basic safety precautions”.
