ARC Raiders’ Success Doesn’t Mean Studio Plans to “Open the Floodgates” For Generative AI Use

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Embark Studios faced some criticism after explaining how they used AI to help create their game, ARC Raiders. However, their use of this technology doesn’t necessarily mean other game developers will follow suit. In a recent interview with PCGamesN, design director Virgil Watkins discussed how the studio combined AI with voice actors for the game’s audio and shared their plans for future AI integration.

Embark Studios used a combination of real voice actors and AI to create character voices for their game. They initially recorded actors, then used AI to generate additional lines. This approach received some criticism, but it didn’t significantly affect game sales. According to Watkins, the studio will continue to explore using AI in development, but only if it proves genuinely useful.

He admitted he wasn’t sure whether the technology had been a positive or negative change overall. Like with any new tool they create or use, the key question is: does it allow them to do something completely new, or is it just a nice addition? In this case, the text-to-speech feature opened up the possibility of having voiced characters, which they didn’t have the resources to do previously.

Now that the game has evolved, it’s likely things have changed in terms of what’s possible. We’re also considering whether the current quality is good enough, and it might not be. This raises the question of whether we need to adjust our approach, but we haven’t decided to simply allow any and all AI tools. So, our overall perspective on AI hasn’t really shifted.

According to Watkins, Embark Studios uses AI tools because the studio is always looking for new technologies and ways to combine them with their existing tools to innovate. While they’ll keep an eye on feedback, Watkins acknowledges that the studio has heard and is considering criticisms regarding the use of generative AI.

We’re continuing to focus on building the best things we can, using the resources we have. A big part of that is experimenting with new technology and creating our own tools, which has allowed us to achieve a lot with a relatively small team. We expect this approach to continue, allowing us to keep producing content at our current level. Of course, we’re also aware of and listening to the feedback and concerns people have expressed.

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2026-01-12 15:14