Respeecher helped 'Cyberpunk 2077' honour a dead actor’s voice

CD Projekt Red

Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red has confirmed that it reconstructed the voice of a deceased actor for its Phantom Liberty DLC using AI voice cloning software. Actor Miłogost Reczek voiced the character Viktor Vektor in the Polish version of the game. He would've been tapped to reprise the role for the DLC (which came out last month), but he died in 2021 before its production. The developer chose to go this route to "pay tribute to his wonderful performance," they told Bloomberg. And the developer said they obtained consent to do so from his family.

CD Projekt Red worked with Respeecher to make this happen. The Ukraine-based voice tech company is known for de-ageing Mark Hamill's voice in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett to create a young Luke Skywalker. And then, another actor was hired to speak the new lines. Respeecher’s software reworked them into Reczek’s voice. 

AI is become a contentious topic in the entertainment industry. Striking Hollywood actors are currently fighting for more protections around the use of their likenesses, among other things. In September, SAG-AFTRA voted for a strike authorization for video game actors. Their jobs could be threatened by studios’ increasing reliance on AI. However, in this case, CD Projekt Red says Reczek’s family was "very supportive."

Via