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According to recent disclosures from Embark Studios, Arc Raiders reportedly employ AI tools for producing select spoken content. This revelation closely resembles the debate that emerged around the developer's earlier release, The Finals.

Title Introduction

Released on October 30th for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, Arc Raiders is described as a gentler introduction to the competitive survival category. In contrast with complex games like Escape from Tarkov, it aims to offer a more approachable adventure. The title has mostly received positive feedback, maintaining a highly favorable rating on digital distribution based on over 8,000 user evaluations.

AI Disclosure

On the title's dedicated platform description, a notice regarding artificially created material invites parallels: "During development, we might apply algorithmic and intelligent systems to facilitate material generation. In every instance, the final output embodies the original ideas of our development team."

Earlier Debate

The Finals, a well-received online combat game recognized for its fluid combat and destructive environments, faced criticism for its implementation of artificial intelligence even before its public debut. During its pre-release trial, the title's sound specialist disclosed in a online discussion that the company had used generative technology for producing vocal tracks. This statement triggered swift criticism from professional performers and creative personnel, who claimed that AI-generated voices were of reduced caliber compared to professional recordings and that such methods could eliminate acting roles.

Studio Explanation

In response, the company stated that they had hired professional voice actors to create initial spoken content for The Finals, but supplemented these with synthetic voice systems to produce supplementary content based on those initial performances. The company's explanation focused on the significant time savings achieved through this approach.

Current Situation

About Arc Raiders, the title's creative lead recently stated that the title "in no way uses generative AI whatsoever," though he avoided specifics on the exact nature of the Steam disclosure. He did admit, however, that the same vocal technology used for The Finals was also incorporated in Arc Raiders.

We employ a mix of live performance content and content created through text-to-speech technology in our games, according to the situation," explained a development team member. "Sometimes, recording real scenes where performers collaborate — allowing character chemistry and drama to define the final product — is something that contributes richness to our game worlds that technology can't emulate. In other instances, especially when it relates to contextual in-game action call-outs, TTS allows us to have tailored VO where we could not such as due to development pace."

Gamer Feedback

Early feedback to the use of generative tools in Arc Raiders has been somewhat nuanced, especially during the launch window. A portion of the community have expressed strong opposition.

• Artificial intelligence dialogue is a stain on an mostly outstanding experience," stated one gamer in a online discussion.
• "I hate that they implemented it in The Finals and am sad to hear they did it again for this release," added another.
• "It was instantly apparent in the vocal lines for Shani," observed a another gamer.

However, some users have adopted a more accepting stance.

• It doesn't bother me, they hired talent and applied it appropriately," commented one forum user.
• This demonstrates acceptable as it is possible nowadays, unfortunately," continued another.

The continuing controversy regarding technology adoption in video game production appears set to endure as companies weigh production speed with performance standards and moral concerns.