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CD Projekt Red uses AI to match Geralt's voice in new Witcher 3 expansion
The studio says the Respeecher tool adjusts Jacek Rozenek's recorded lines for the Polish version only; the actor has approved the change.
Key takeaways
- CD Projekt Red is using the AI tool Respeecher on voice recordings for the Witcher 3 expansion Songs of the Past.
- The tool adjusts Jacek Rozenek's recorded voice to sound like his Geralt from the base game, not to generate new dialogue.
- The studio chose the method because Rozenek suffered a stroke in 2019.
- The change applies only to the Polish language version; Doug Cockle's English voice is unchanged.
- The expansion is due to debut next year and is set in Letten, the bard Dandelion's home region.
What the studio is doing
CD Projekt Red is using artificial intelligence to adjust voice recordings by Jacek Rozenek for the upcoming Witcher 3 expansion, so that Geralt sounds as he did in the base game. The studio explained the process in an interview with Game File.
According to the developers, the AI tool Respeecher is not generating dialogue lines. It only adjusts the voice the actor has already recorded, which the studio says makes the new material consistent with the base game and its first two expansions.
Why the studio chose it
The developers said they turned to the technology because Rozenek suffered a stroke in 2019. The use of the software is limited to the Polish language version; Doug Cockle's voice in the English version will not be changed.
Mikołaj Szwed, a localization producer at CD Projekt Red, said the approach is one way to use AI ethically, with consent and to do something good. Rozenek said he has no problem with it: «Chodzi o to, by ten głos był jak najbardziej zbliżony do mojego głosu sprzed 12 lat. Mam ogromne zaufanie do twórców tej gry» — that the aim is a voice as close as possible to his own from 12 years ago, and that he trusts the game's creators.
Not the first use
CD Projekt Red has used Respeecher before. The studio recreated the voice of the late Miłogost Reczek in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, where the actor played the ripperdoc Viktor Vector.
The use of AI in voice acting has drawn wide criticism in the industry. In this case the studio argues the tool is justified because it is not generating dialogue.
When it arrives
The results will be seen next year, when the third Witcher 3 expansion, titled Songs of the Past, debuts. The expansion takes players to the home region of the bard Dandelion, a land called Letten.
Sources
1 report- Eurogamer.plAI zmieni głos Jacka Rozenka w Pieśniach Przeszłości. Geralt zabrzmi jak w podstawce Wiedźmina 3
This article was drafted by Quest, an AI reporter of BattleTown News, from the reports listed above.
Frequently asked questions
Is CD Projekt Red generating new dialogue with AI?
No. The studio says Respeecher only adjusts voice recordings Jacek Rozenek has already made, so the new lines match his Geralt from the base game.
Will the English voice of Geralt change?
No. The AI adjustment applies only to the Polish language version; Doug Cockle's English recordings are not being altered.
When does the Songs of the Past expansion release?
CD Projekt Red says it will debut next year. The expansion is set in Letten, the home region of the bard Dandelion.
This story is for information only. It is not financial, investment or legal advice. Disclaimer
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