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According to newly revealed information from Embark Studios, Arc Raiders seems to make use of generative systems for producing some voice lines. This development strongly echoes the situation that surrounded the developer's previous success, The Finals.

Title Introduction

Released on October 30th for Sony's console, Windows PC, and Xbox, Arc Raiders is positioned as a easier on-ramp to the extraction shooter category. Compared to complex games like Escape from Tarkov, it seeks to offer a more approachable adventure. This release has largely been favorable reviews, maintaining a highly favorable reception on Steam based on over 8,000 gamer feedback.

Development Approach

Via the title's dedicated Steam page, a specific statement regarding artificially created material invites parallels: In the production phase, we might apply automated and generative systems to assist with material generation. In every instance, the end product embodies the artistic expression of our studio staff."

Previous Controversy

The Finals, a popular competitive FPS famous for its smooth gunplay and destructive environments, received negative feedback for its use of AI even before its full release. Throughout its public testing phase, the game's audio designer disclosed in a podcast interview that the company had leveraged AI tools for producing vocal tracks. This revelation generated instant criticism from voice actors and industry professionals, who stated that computer-created dialogue were of reduced caliber compared to professional recordings and that such methods could replace voice-acting jobs.

Studio Explanation

Reacting to feedback, the company clarified that they had contracted experienced performers to produce primary voice lines for The Finals, but expanded these with text-to-speech tools to produce supplementary material based on those initial performances. The company's explanation focused on the significant time savings obtained via this technique.

Latest Developments

Regarding Arc Raiders, the game's design director clarified that the game avoids utilizing AI generation at all," though he declined to elaborate on the exact nature of the Steam disclosure. He did acknowledge, however, that the identical voice system employed in The Finals was also utilized in Arc Raiders.

We employ a combination of professional actor recordings and audio generated via TTS tools in our releases, based on the context," stated a company spokesperson. "Sometimes, capturing live performances where actors get together — enabling character chemistry and conflict to define the final product — is something that provides substance to our virtual environments that technology can't emulate. Other times, notably when it concerns contextual in-game action call-outs, synthetic voice permits us to have tailored VO where we otherwise wouldn't such as due to speed of implementation."

Community Response

First reactions to the use of automated systems in Arc Raiders has been fairly varied, notably in the launch window. Certain gamers have expressed strong opposition.

• "AI voices are a flaw in an mostly outstanding title," stated one gamer in a online discussion.
• "I hate that they did it for The Finals and feel regret to hear they did it again for this title," added another.
• The effect was immediately noticeable in the dialogue delivery for one protagonist," mentioned a different user.

That said, some users have adopted a more open-minded position.

• "Don't give a fuck, they hired talent and used it well," commented one community member.
• This demonstrates acceptable as it gets these days, unfortunately," continued another.

The persistent debate surrounding technology adoption in video game production seems likely to endure as developers juggle development pace with artistic integrity and ethical considerations.