Embark Studios Cuts AI Voices in Arc Raiders for Actor Recordings

Embark Studios has reduced the number of AI-generated voice lines in its hit extraction shooter Arc Raiders since the game's launch last October, replacing several with recordings from professional actors to improve quality.

The Stockholm-based developer released Arc Raiders on October 30 for PC and consoles, where it quickly became one of the year's top-selling titles. The third-person survival game, which blends player-versus-player and player-versus-environment elements, drew praise for its balanced gameplay, including features like proximity chat and teammate revives. It has maintained a strong player base on platforms such as Steam, with critics awarding it high marks for refreshing the genre.

At launch, Arc Raiders incorporated text-to-speech technology for certain in-game audio, particularly location pings and non-essential lines, such as item identifications. This approach allowed the team to generate voices dynamically for updates without repeated studio sessions. The voices were based on licensed audio from hired actors. However, the use of AI sparked criticism from some players and observers, who viewed it as a shortcut that undermined human performance quality and...