Embark Studios began swapping a portion of ARC Raiders‘ AI-generated voice lines for recordings by human actors, a move the studio said reduced the amount of synthetic speech in the game compared with launch.
In an interview with gamesindustry.biz, studio head Patrick Söderlund explained that the team re-recorded some dialogue after release, and that overall there are now fewer AI lines in the title than there were when the game launched in October 2025. AI-generated speech drew repeated complaints from players and voice actors after the game’s October launch, especially because ARC Raiders was sold as a premium product rather than a free-to-play title. Embark’s Steam page still carries a disclosure noting that procedural and AI-based tools may have been used during development.
Söderlund said the studio still uses licensed text-to-speech in selected, less-central cases, the ping system audio was cited as an example, and continues to use AI tools in development work. He also confirmed that actors were paid for recording sessions and that some performers received additional compensation for allowing their voices to be used in text-to-speech tools. Embark continued to support the game with updates after launch and has kept strong player numbers and steady scores, the studio said. The developer has also been addressing other community concerns such as cheating and exploits as we have covered reports and developer responses about a recent cheater surge in Arc Raiders, including steps Embark said it would take to improve detection and bans.
For now, Embark’s approach blends human performances with selective TTS usage and continued AI-assisted tooling in development. That combination reflects the studio’s stated attempt to balance production constraints with player expectations about voice acting. Please share your thoughts in the comments and tell us what you think about AI and voice acting in games, or follow the conversation on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram.
ARC Raiders
Developed by Embark Studios
ARC Raiders is a multiplayer, extraction adventure, set in a lethal future earth, ravaged by a mysterious mechanized threat known as ARC.
- Genre: Shooter
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
- Modes: Multiplayer, Co-operative
- Release: 2025-10-30
- Publisher: Embark Studios
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Age Rating:
ESRB T / PEGI 16 / GRAC 15+ / USK 18 / CLASS_IND 14 / ACB M
- IGDB Rating: 89.7/100
