Arc Raiders developer explains its AI voice lines and says actors are not being replaced

Embark Studios has explained why Arc Raiders used generative AI for many of its voice lines, and says it is gradually swapping them for human recordings. The comments come from a studio video about the game's sound and music, which Eurogamer reported on November 3, 2026.

Why the studio used AI voices

Audio director Bence Pajor said locking in recorded lines early used to stop teams from changing gameplay at his previous studios. In Arc Raiders, every new item, weapon and feature needs fresh dialogue, and the game has changed constantly since it launched in October 2025. Pajor said models trained on the actors' own performances let the team keep up, and that asking actors to record every variation would drive them "crazy".

What the actors said

Two cast members appear in the video. Diana Gardner, who voices Celeste, said the setup let her accept other work without cancelling sessions, and she found the contract fair. She also said she was unsure whether she could call the final generated performance her own work.

Human lines are coming back

Chief creative officer Stefan Strandberg said Embark is "not in the industry of replacing voice actors" and accepts that the AI lines broke immersion for many players. He said the studio wants to give performances more space in future updates.

The AI voices drew criticism in reviews, and Embark faced the same pushback over The Finals. Publisher Nexon has called the game's success a "trojan horse" for AI use in small teams.

For players, the change means more recorded dialogue from the cast in coming patches, rather than synthetic lines for each new item.

Source: Eurogamer, quoting Embark Studios' developer video.