ARC Raiders has replaced select AI-generated voice lines with recordings from professional actors after launch. Here’s what Embark Studios said about the change and how AI tools are used during development.
ARC Raiders Replaced "Some" AI Dialogue After Launch
Professional Actors Deliver Higher Quality Performances
ARC Raiders’ Embark Studios re-recorded some AI-generated voice lines with human actors after launch, as revealed by CEO Patrick Söderlund in a recent interview. Söderlund said the studio replaced certain lines with recordings from professional actors, noting that "there is a quality difference." He added that the studio used AI during development to quickly generate temporary dialogue while testing ideas, allowing the team to try different versions of a line before deciding which ones should be recorded by actors for the final game.
Söderlund said Embark continues to work with voice actors for recording sessions and compensates them for the time spent in the booth. In some cases, actors may also approve licensing their voices for limited text-to-speech usage for lines that are less important to immersion, such as certain ping system audio.
"We look at [AI] first and foremost as a production tool," Söderlund said. "We can test things internally. We can test 15 different lines without recording them, and then we know what to record."
He added that the technology is meant to support development rather than replace performers. "It’s also a way for us to work, not replace actors. We don't necessarily believe in replacing humans with AI all the time."
Developers Previously Explained AI Use
Embark had previously confirmed that some ARC Raiders voice lines were generated using text-to-speech tools. In an October 2025 interview with Eurogamer, the studio said the technology helped generate additional dialogue for the game.
When ARC Raiders launched, the approach drew attention from players and voice actors, particularly as the studio had already faced criticism for similar AI voice usage in its earlier shooter, The Finals. Some players questioned the use of text-to-speech voices in the game and compared it to Embark’s previous implementation, which had already sparked debate about AI-generated dialogue in games. The discussion also tied into broader industry concerns about how generative tools might affect voice acting work.
In the interview, Embark CCO Stefan Strandberg said text-to-speech tools helped expand the game’s scope by generating additional dialogue in situations where recording every line with actors might not be practical. At the same time, Strandberg emphasized that the studio still relied heavily on actors for key performances even while experimenting with text-to-speech tools: "There's something special and dynamic about putting two people together that to me, being a sound designer originally, there's nothing that can replace that in my opinion."
Similar to Söderlund, he also described AI as one of several tools used to support development, saying that they "use AI as tools to assist in some content creation, but it's always in the context of creativity, as an expression of the team."
Despite experimenting with these technologies, Strandberg said traditional game design principles remain essential. "There are no shortcuts to making great games," he said. "You need so many things in place: a clear vision, a great culture, clear goals."
ARC Raiders is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and Epic Games Store. To stay up-to-date on the game, check out our article below.
Sources:
Arc Raiders CEO says studio has "re-recorded" AI lines: "A real professional actor is better than AI; that's just how it is"
"There's no shortcut to making great games" Embark Studios CCO responds to, and defends, AI use in Arc Raiders
Embark Studios head Patrick Söderlund explains how Arc Raiders was made on "a quarter of the budget" of a AAA title
