How Cyberpunk 2077 Cloned A Dead Actor's Voice

"Cyberpunk 2077" has been a highly controversial video game ever since its release in 2021. However, the latest discourse surrounding the game is very different from hilarious bugs and unfinished content. The game's new DLC, "Phantom Liberty," expands on the story of the base game while also adding new mechanics and quality-of-life tweaks. However, in attempting to integrate "Phantom Liberty" into the existing campaign, CD Projekt was faced with a heartbreaking problem: Miłogost "Milek" Reczeck, the actor who played ripperdoc Viktor Vektor in the Polish version of the game, passed away in 2021. Rather than recast the role, CD Projekt has revealed that the dev team worked with the voice cloning pioneers at Respeecher. Together they have managed to mimic Reczeck's vocal patterns using AI tech.

According to a statement shared with Bloomberg, CD Projekt briefly considered recasting the part for "Phantom Liberty." However, this would necessitate having the new actor re-record Vektor's dialogue for the base game for the sake of continuity. Ultimately, the developers didn't want to erase all of Reczek's work in the game. Speaking with The Verge, localization director Mikołaj Szwed explained the process that the team eventually settled on: "We contacted [Reczeck] family for permission to create an algorithm from Miłek's voice that could then be used over the performance of another actor, who would record Viktor Vektor's new voice lines." Using Respeecher's tech, the team then transformed the voice of the new actor, Janusz Zadura, into a close approximation of Miłogost Reczeck's. While this solution allows Viktor Vektor to live on in the game, it has caused a bit of a concern in the player community.

AI continues to be a hot button issue in the entertainment industry. Both SAG-AFTRA and the WGA have debated the use of AI in film and television, arguing that the technology needs to be properly regulated. A number of prominent voice actors have likewise warned that AI-generated vocal performances pose a danger to the stability of their industry. It's unsurprising that CD Projekt's use of AI in fleshing out Viktor Vektor has also proven to be a divisive topic.

Despite the ongoing controversy surrounding AI voices, most "Cyberpunk 2077" fans seem on board with CD Projekt's use of AI in this instance, primarily because the developers received the blessing of Miłogost Reczek's family. If that were not the case, many fans have indicated that they'd feel very differently. As it stands, diehard players seem to agree with CD Projekt's conclusion that having two different actors playing one character would break immersion. One fan on X (formerly Twitter) noted, "Vik is a pretty significant character and recasting him just for Phantom Liberty would seem off due to how [the DLC is] integrated into the main campaign seemlessly [sic]."

Others argue that this is a slippery slope, and believe that even the biggest fans of "Cyberpunk 2077" would have understood if CD Projekt had to recast and re-record dialogue after an actor's passing. One X user hinted that other games would have received more flak for this decision, quipping, "[Because] it's Cyberpunk 2077 everyone's okay with AI now."