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According to newly revealed information from the studio behind the title, Arc Raiders appears to employ AI tools for generating certain voice lines. This revelation is strikingly similar to the debate that surrounded the studio's earlier release, The Finals.

Title Introduction

Debuted on October 30 for PS5, PC, and Microsoft's console, Arc Raiders is described as a gentler introduction to the loot-and-extract style. In contrast with more hardcore titles like Escape from Tarkov, it aims to offer a user-friendly experience. The title has largely been positive feedback, presently achieving a "very positive" reception on digital distribution based on numerous user evaluations.

AI Disclosure

On the title's dedicated store listing, a clear disclosure regarding artificially created material draws comparisons: "During development, we could utilize procedural and AI-based tools to support asset production. Regardless of method, the end product reflects the artistic expression of our development team."

Earlier Debate

The Finals, a popular multiplayer first-person shooter famous for its responsive controls and destructive environments, faced criticism for its adoption of generative tools prior to its full release. During its October 2023 open beta, the game's audio designer disclosed in a online discussion that the company had employed AI tools for producing dialogue lines. This announcement prompted immediate criticism from voice actors and industry professionals, who argued that synthetic speech were of reduced caliber compared to human performances and that such practices could replace performance opportunities.

Company Position

In response, Embark Studios stated that they had contracted experienced performers to record original dialogue for The Finals, but supplemented these with TTS technology to create extra lines modeled after those initial performances. The company's explanation highlighted the production efficiency obtained via this technique.

Current Situation

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

"We use a blend of recorded voice audio and content created through text-to-speech technology in our titles, according to the requirements," explained a company spokesperson. For specific scenarios, recording real scenes where actors get together — allowing performance dynamics and tension to influence the result — is something that contributes richness to our digital universes that technology can't emulate. Other times, notably when it involves contextual in-game action call-outs, synthetic voice permits us to have tailored VO where we typically could not e.g. due to production timelines."

Gamer Feedback

Early feedback to the implementation of automated systems in Arc Raiders has been relatively mixed, notably in the early days. Some players have expressed strong opposition.

• Synthetic speech represents a stain on an mostly outstanding experience," commented one gamer in a online discussion.
• I oppose that they used it in The Finals and am disappointed to hear they employed it once more for this game," responded another.
• "It was quickly detectable in the dialogue delivery for a specific character," mentioned a third player.

That said, some users have expressed a more open-minded stance.

• "Don't give a fuck, they hired talent and applied it appropriately," stated one community member.
• This represents the most responsible as it is possible nowadays, unfortunately," added another.

The persistent debate about technology adoption in video game production appears set to persist as companies weigh development pace with performance standards and responsible practices.