CD Projekt Red confirmed the use of artificial intelligence to adjust the AI Geralt voice Witcher 3 of Polish actor Jacek Rozenek, who plays Geralt of Rivia, in the expansion The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past, scheduled for 2027.
What happened?
Rozenek suffered a stroke in 2019 that affected his voice. He recorded all the new lines for the expansion, but CDPR, in partnership with the Ukrainian company Respeecher, used AI trained on his original 2014 recordings to bring his current timbre closer to what players know from the base game.
The actor gave explicit consent. "The point is that this voice should be as close as possible to my voice from 12 years ago. I have great trust for the creators of this game," Rozenek said.
Why does this matter?
Localization producer Mikołaj Szwed described the case as "special" and an example of ethical AI use with consent. The expansion takes place during the events of the original game, so new lines will sit side by side with the old ones.
CDPR had previously worked with Respeecher on Cyberpunk 2077 to recreate the voice of a deceased actor, also with family authorization.
What changes in practice?
Players of the Polish version should notice greater consistency between old and new lines. The English version, voiced by Doug Cockle, does not receive the same treatment. The expansion arrives in 2027 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series.
Image credit: CD Projekt Red | Source: GamesIndustry.biz / Game File
By Grok
