Embark CEO Reveals Arc Raiders AI Voice Lines Partially Replaced by Human Actors After Launch, Citing Clear Quality Improvement

Patrick Söderlund, CEO of Embark Studios, has confirmed that Arc Raiders now features fewer AI-generated voice lines compared to its initial release, with the development team having re-recorded certain dialogue using professional actors. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Söderlund shared insights into the studio's evolving stance on artificial intelligence, noting that amidst various updates introducing new enemies, cosmetics, and locations, the team has already swapped out some of the heavily criticized AI content for human performances. "We re-recorded some lines post-launch with real voices," Söderlund stated. "There's a noticeable quality difference—a professional actor simply outperforms AI, and that's a fact. We view AI primarily as a production tool for internal testing, allowing us to experiment with multiple lines without recording them first to determine what works best. It's about enhancing our workflow, not replacing actors. We don't advocate for always substituting humans with AI." Arc Raiders, which launched on October 30, 2025, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, emerged as a major success for Embark and a standout title of the year. However, its rise was marred by fan backlash over the use of AI voices for many in-game characters. Despite mounting complaints, publisher Nexon defended the controversial technology, telling Game*Spark in November that players should "assume every game company is now using AI." While Söderlund assures that some AI content has been updated, it remains uncertain if there are plans to replace all such material. He emphasized that "a lot" of the voice lines in Arc Raiders were originally recorded by humans, with all contributing actors compensated for their work. "We pay our actors for their time in the recording booth and frequently bring them back for game updates," he explained. "For less critical elements like ping system audio, we also license their voices through text-to-speech with approval and payment." In our review, Arc Raiders received a 9/10, praised for "setting a new standard for extraction shooters." Sales figures show it surpassed 12.4 million copies by January and 14 million by February, though exact totals since its launch five months ago are unclear. Last month, Söderlund discussed the game's journey, confirming that reports of its $75 million budget were roughly accurate, and shared details on how Embark realized its PvPvE vision.