🔗 Share this article

According to developer statements from the studio behind the title, Arc Raiders reportedly make use of generative systems for producing some spoken content. This revelation closely resembles the debate that emerged around the studio's 2023 hit, The Finals.

Title Introduction

Released on October 30th for PS5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, Arc Raiders is described as a gentler introduction to the loot-and-extract category. Compared to established behemoths like Escape from Tarkov, it seeks to offer a welcoming adventure. The game has mostly received favorable reviews, maintaining a "very positive" rating on Steam based on over 8,000 gamer feedback.

Technology Statement

Within the title's dedicated store listing, a notice regarding computer-assisted production invites parallels: Throughout creation, we could utilize procedural and AI-based tools to facilitate material generation. In all cases, the end product reflects the original ideas of our studio staff."

Past Issue

The Finals, a successful online combat game recognized for its smooth gunplay and dynamic battlefields, encountered backlash for its adoption of generative tools prior to its full release. During its public testing phase, the title's sound specialist revealed in a audio program that the development team had employed artificial intelligence systems for developing dialogue lines. This revelation triggered swift criticism from voice actors and creative personnel, who claimed that AI-generated voices were of inferior standard compared to professional recordings and that such approaches could eliminate performance opportunities.

Developer Response

Reacting to feedback, the development team stated that they had employed skilled voice actors to create initial voice lines for The Finals, but supplemented these with synthetic voice systems to generate additional content based on those original recordings. The developer's reasoning centered on the development speed achieved through this technique.

Present Circumstances

About Arc Raiders, the project's design head commented that the game does not employ artificial intelligence creation in any form," though he did not provide details on the precise meaning of the platform statement. He did acknowledge, however, that the equivalent speech tools employed in The Finals was also utilized in Arc Raiders.

"We use a mix of live performance content and material produced using synthetic voice systems in our titles, according to the situation," explained a studio representative. In certain cases, capturing live performances where performers collaborate — enabling actor relationships and conflict to influence the result — is something that provides substance to our digital universes that systems cannot duplicate. For different situations, especially when it relates to dynamic gameplay announcements, TTS allows us to have personalized speech where we otherwise wouldn't for example due to speed of implementation."

Gamer Feedback

First reactions to the incorporation of AI technology in Arc Raiders has been somewhat nuanced, particularly in the launch window. Some players have voiced significant concerns.

• "AI voices are a stain on an otherwise incredible title," wrote one user in a forum post.
• I dislike that they used it in The Finals and feel regret to hear they did it again for this game," commented another.
• The effect was instantly apparent in the speech content for a specific character," mentioned a different user.

Nevertheless, different gamers have expressed a more accepting stance.

• It doesn't bother me, they paid voice actors and used it well," wrote one forum user.
• This demonstrates acceptable as it currently exists, sadly," added another.

The persistent debate surrounding AI implementation in game development appears set to persist as studios balance production speed with creative quality and ethical considerations.