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According to newly revealed information from the game's developer, Arc Raiders seems to make use of generative systems for producing some dialogue. This news closely resembles the debate that surrounded the developer's 2023 hit, The Finals.

Title Introduction

Launched on October 30th for Sony's console, PC, and Xbox Series X, Arc Raiders is positioned as a gentler on-ramp to the loot-and-extract genre. Compared to established behemoths like Escape from Tarkov, it aims to offer a more approachable experience. The game has largely been favorable reviews, currently holding a excellent rating on digital distribution based on over 8,000 user evaluations.

Development Approach

On the product's platform description, a clear disclosure regarding computer-assisted production raises similarities: "During development, we may employ automated and generative tools to assist with asset production. Regardless of method, the final output reflects the original ideas of our development team."

Earlier Debate

The Finals, a well-received online combat game famous for its responsive controls and destructive environments, received negative feedback for its use of AI ahead of its public debut. In its October 2023 open beta, the title's sound specialist disclosed in a audio program that the development team had employed generative technology for creating vocal tracks. This statement generated instant criticism from professional performers and game developers, who argued that AI-generated voices were of reduced caliber compared to professional recordings and that such methods could replace voice-acting jobs.

Company Position

Reacting to feedback, the development team clarified that they had contracted experienced performers to produce primary voice lines for The Finals, but expanded these with synthetic voice systems to produce supplementary content based on those initial performances. The developer's reasoning focused on the development speed obtained via this approach.

Present Circumstances

Regarding Arc Raiders, the title's creative lead commented that the title "in no way uses artificial intelligence creation in any form," though he did not provide details on the specific interpretation of the Steam disclosure. He did confirm, however, that the same vocal technology implemented in The Finals was also incorporated in Arc Raiders.

We employ a mix of professional actor recordings and content created through synthetic voice systems in our titles, according to the context," explained a development team member. For specific scenarios, recording real scenes where performers collaborate — enabling performance dynamics and conflict to shape the outcome — is something that contributes richness to our game worlds that AI cannot replicate. Other times, notably when it relates to contextual in-game action call-outs, TTS allows us to have tailored VO where we otherwise wouldn't such as due to production timelines."

Community Response

First reactions to the use of automated systems in Arc Raiders has been somewhat nuanced, notably in the launch window. A portion of the community have shown clear disapproval.

• Synthetic speech represents a blemish on an generally excellent experience," wrote one user in a community thread.
• I dislike that they did it for The Finals and am disappointed to hear they did it again for this title," responded another.
• The effect was immediately noticeable in the vocal lines for a specific character," observed a another gamer.

Nevertheless, some users have adopted a more open-minded stance.

• "Don't give a fuck, they hired talent and implemented it effectively," stated one online participant.
• This demonstrates acceptable as it gets these days, sadly," added another.

The persistent discussion regarding technology adoption in video game production appears set to persist as developers juggle creative efficiency with artistic integrity and moral concerns.