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Based on recent disclosures from the studio behind the title, Arc Raiders seems to make use of artificial intelligence technology for generating select voice lines. This development is strikingly similar to the debate that arose with the developer's earlier release, The Finals.

Release Details

Launched on October 30th for PS5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, Arc Raiders is positioned as a easier introduction to the extraction shooter category. In contrast with established behemoths like Escape from Tarkov, it seeks to offer a user-friendly experience. This release has largely been strong ratings, maintaining a highly favorable score on the popular platform based on thousands of gamer feedback.

Development Approach

Within the title's dedicated platform description, a specific statement regarding computer-assisted production invites parallels: "During development, we may employ procedural and AI-based technologies to assist with content creation. In all cases, the end product reflects the original ideas of our development team."

Earlier Debate

The Finals, a popular multiplayer first-person shooter known for its smooth gunplay and destructive environments, encountered backlash for its adoption of generative tools even before its public debut. Throughout its pre-release trial, the project's audio lead mentioned in a podcast interview that the studio had used artificial intelligence systems for creating voice content. This statement generated instant negative reaction from professional performers and industry professionals, who argued that synthetic speech were of inferior standard compared to professional recordings and that such methods could replace performance opportunities.

Studio Explanation

Reacting to feedback, the development team stated that they had employed skilled talent to create initial voice lines for The Finals, but supplemented these with text-to-speech tools to create extra material modeled after those original recordings. The company's explanation focused on the significant time savings achieved through this approach.

Current Situation

Regarding Arc Raiders, the project's design head commented that the release "in no way uses generative AI whatsoever," though he did not provide details on the exact nature of the platform statement. He did admit, however, that the identical voice system employed in The Finals was also utilized in Arc Raiders.

We employ a mix of live performance content and audio generated via text-to-speech technology in our releases, based on the situation," commented a development team member. "Sometimes, capturing live performances where actors get together — allowing actor relationships and drama to influence the result — is something that adds depth to our digital universes that technology can't emulate. Other times, particularly if it concerns real-time combat communications, TTS allows us to have tailored VO where we typically could not for example due to production timelines."

Gamer Feedback

Early feedback to the use of AI technology in Arc Raiders has been somewhat nuanced, notably in the early days. Certain gamers have voiced significant concerns.

• "AI voices are a stain on an otherwise incredible experience," commented one player in a community thread.
• I dislike that they implemented it in The Finals and am disappointed to hear they employed it once more for this release," added another.
• The result was immediately noticeable in the dialogue delivery for one protagonist," observed a third player.

That said, some users have adopted a more tolerant position.

• I don't care, they compensated performers and implemented it effectively," commented one forum user.
• This represents the most responsible as it currently exists, unfortunately," concluded another.

The ongoing discussion about artificial intelligence use in video game production appears set to continue as companies juggle creative efficiency with performance standards and moral concerns.