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Based on developer statements from the studio behind the title, Arc Raiders appears to make use of artificial intelligence technology for creating some voice lines. This news closely resembles the debate that arose with the developer's 2023 hit, The Finals.

Release Details

Launched on October 30 for Sony's console, PC, and Xbox, Arc Raiders is positioned as a gentler on-ramp to the loot-and-extract category. Compared to complex games like Escape from Tarkov, it seeks to offer a welcoming experience. The title has mostly received positive feedback, maintaining a excellent rating on digital distribution based on numerous gamer feedback.

AI Disclosure

Via the product's store listing, a notice regarding "AI Generated Content" raises similarities: In the production phase, we might apply procedural and AI-based technologies to facilitate content creation. In every instance, the resulting game reflects the original ideas of our creative personnel."

Past Issue

The Finals, a popular multiplayer first-person shooter famous for its responsive controls and demolition-heavy maps, received negative feedback for its adoption of generative tools prior to its full release. In its pre-release trial, the game's audio designer revealed in a podcast interview that the development team had used generative technology for creating vocal tracks. This revelation prompted immediate criticism from voice actors and industry professionals, who claimed that synthetic speech were of reduced caliber compared to human performances and that such practices could eliminate voice-acting jobs.

Developer Response

In response, the development team explained that they had employed skilled voice actors to record original dialogue for The Finals, but expanded these with TTS technology to generate additional content based on those initial performances. The company's explanation focused on the development speed achieved through this technique.

Current Situation

Regarding Arc Raiders, the title's creative lead recently stated that the title avoids utilizing AI generation at all," though he avoided specifics on the specific interpretation of the Steam disclosure. He did confirm, however, that the equivalent speech tools implemented in The Finals was also applied in Arc Raiders.

Our approach involves blend of professional actor recordings and material produced using TTS tools in our games, based on the requirements," commented a development team member. In certain cases, filming actual interactions where performers collaborate — enabling actor relationships and drama to define the final product — is something that adds depth to our digital universes that AI cannot replicate. Other times, notably when it relates to real-time combat communications, synthetic voice permits us to have personalized speech where we typically could not e.g. due to development pace."

Player Reactions

First reactions to the implementation of generative tools in Arc Raiders has been relatively mixed, especially during the early days. Certain gamers have shown clear disapproval.

• Artificial intelligence dialogue is a blemish on an mostly outstanding title," wrote one user in a online discussion.
• "I hate that they used it in The Finals and am disappointed to hear they repeated it for this title," added another.
• "It was immediately noticeable in the vocal lines for a specific character," mentioned a different user.

Nevertheless, other players have expressed a more tolerant position.

• I don't care, they paid voice actors and applied it appropriately," wrote one community member.
• "This is as ethical as it currently exists, unfortunately," concluded another.

The ongoing debate about AI implementation in video game production appears set to continue as studios weigh development pace with artistic integrity and responsible practices.