ARC Raiders changes controversial AI voices

ARC Raiders reveals that the game's development team changed the AI's voice lines, which were initially controversial among fans. Developed by Embark Studios, ARC Raiders is a multiplayer extraction shooter where players step into the role of raiders and fight against robotic enemies while fighting other players.

Right from its release, ARC Raiders turned out to be a massive hit. Publisher Nexon announced it in January 2026 ARC Raiders it sold 10 million copies in less than two months of release. Players have found the game to have a unique aesthetic, gameplay loop, and other aspects worth immersing yourself in because it's not just another extraction shooter on the market. Embark has been constantly updating the title with new updates to keep players engaged, and now the developer has confirmed that it's making changes to the game's AI-generated dialogue issue, which has plagued fans since launch.

two versions of the dedicated skin side by side in ARC Raiders

ARC Raiders players are not happy with the new “devout” skin.

Embark Studios is releasing a brand new skin as part of this week's ARC Raiders update, but fans have already called the outfit “weird.”

ARC Raiders moves away from AI-generated voice lines

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Embark CEO Patrick Söderlund discussed the use of AI in ARC Raiders. While explaining the various updates for the game, he revealed that the studio replaced many of the game's voice lines with real human voices after launch. He explains that there is a qualitative difference between an artificial intelligence and a real professional actor. Embark views AI as a production tool and does not believe in “continuous replacement of humans by AI”. He also stated that the voice actors are paid for the time they spend in the booth and continue to be brought back as the developer brings more updates to the game. For a select few actors, they are also paid to license their voices via text-to-speech, which isn't really essential to the immersion of the experience.

ARC Raiders has faced criticism for its use of AI since its launch. Reports suggest so ARC Raiders it relies on two artificial intelligence systems, one of which includes text-to-speech (TTS) technology. The system is built using recordings of real voice actors, allowing developers to create dialogue for various aspects of the game, including NPC interactions, in-game pings, tooltips, and mission briefings. The advantage of this technology for developers is that it allows them to bypass uploading, which can often be tedious and time-consuming. Embark said it obtained permission from the voice actors to use their voices through these methods. Even Embark's previous title, Finaltook a similar approach, using AI-generated voice work based on actor recordings for features such as in-game commentators and announcer lines.

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However, many players in the gaming community will not appreciate the use of AI ARC Raiders. They feel that AI-generated voice lines sound unnatural, flat, and lack the emotional connection that comes from real voice acting. According to fans, this breaks the immersion of the game and the interactions with the characters feel “soulless”. Not only that, but there are huge concerns about talented voice actors losing their jobs as developers increasingly rely on AI for faster results and frequent game updates.

Who is that character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who is that character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

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The use of generative artificial intelligence has become and will likely remain a divisive subject in the gaming community. While players across social media platforms like Reddit and Twitter welcomed Embark's decision to replace some of the AI-generated dialogue with human performances, many still believe that other voice lines should get the same treatment.

Given that ARC Raiders is the leading title in the extraction shooter genre and stays ahead of the competition such as Marathonfans believe that these small improvements will only enhance the game's reputation and increase its popularity. Although Embark hasn't revealed any further plans regarding AI changes, only time will tell what the developer ultimately decides to implement in future updates. For now, players can only wait and watch.