CD Projekt Red Uses AI Voice Tech for Geralt's Polish Actor After Stroke Changed His Voice

CD Projekt Red Turns to AI Voice Technology for Geralt's Polish Voice

CD Projekt Red has confirmed it will use AI voice cloning to modify the performance of Jacek Rozenek, Geralt of Rivia's Polish voice actor, in the upcoming Songs of the Past expansion for The Witcher 31

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. The studio partnered with Ukrainian AI voice company Respeecher to make Rozenek's new recordings sound closer to his original performance from over a decade ago. Unlike typical AI voice replacements, Rozenek is still recording all his lines himself, with AI only modifying the recordings afterward to match his pre-stroke vocal quality4

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Actor's Health Issues Necessitate Voice Modulation

Jacek Rozenek, who has voiced Geralt in Polish since 2007, suffered a stroke in 2019 that significantly affected his speech and left him temporarily unable to speak5

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. After rigorous training, he regained his voice and returned to voice acting, but his vocal quality changed noticeably. By 2021, he had rehabilitated enough to provide new lines for The Witcher 3's next-gen update, though the process left him "exhausted"1

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. His voice is now described as "much lower, much gruffer" and "noticeably rougher" than his recordings for the original game3

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. The expansion's timeline presented a unique challenge: Songs of the Past is set around the same period as the original game, meaning players will hear Geralt's new dialogue alongside recordings made over a decade ago, making any vocal change immediately noticeable4

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Respeecher Trains Model on Over 10,000 Lines

Respeecher trained its algorithm on more than 10,000 lines Rozenek recorded for The Witcher 32

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. Dmytro Vasylets, a synthetic speech artist for Respeecher, explained that "the brief was simple: make Jacek's voice sound alive, rich and young, like in the original game." However, the execution proved complex. "Getting there took dozens of hours, training models, going through the details with the CDPR team, and dealing with AI artifacts that never fully disappear," Vasylets said1

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. The most challenging aspect was capturing Rozenek's emotional range: "the half-tones, shouts, groans, anger, fear and laughter" at the highest audio quality2

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Explicit Consent and Ethical Use of AI in Gaming

CD Projekt Red obtained Rozenek's explicit consent before proceeding with the AI voice modification. "The point is that this voice should be as close as possible to my voice from 12 years ago," Rozenek said. "I have great trust...for the creators of this game"1

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. Localization producer Mikołaj Szwed acknowledged the controversy surrounding generative AI in game development, stating: "I can tell you, as a person working with voice actors over all the regions in the world, this is a big concern." However, he emphasized that "this was a special case" and added, "I do think this is one of those ways where you can use AI ethically, with consent and also to do something good"2

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. Szwed confirmed that CDPR's contracts require consent for any AI work and wouldn't use AI tools to alter someone's voice without express permission5

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Limited Application: English Voice and Future Games Unaffected

The AI modifications apply exclusively to the Polish version of Songs of the Past. Doug Cockle, who voices Geralt in English, will record his dialogue without AI adjustments4

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. CD Projekt Red confirmed it has no plans to use similar technology for Cockle's performance1

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. The studio also stated that Rozenek's voice would not be altered in any hypothetical future Witcher games set later in the timeline, including The Witcher 4, because the vocal change would actually be appropriate for an older, more grizzled Geralt1

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Not CD Projekt Red's First Use of Respeecher

This marks the second time CD Projekt Red has worked with Respeecher for voice-related challenges. The studio previously used the company to reproduce the voice of Miłogost Reczek, who portrayed Viktor Vektor in Cyberpunk 2077 and Vesemir in The Witcher 3's Polish releases. Reczek died in 2021, and CD Projekt Red received his family's blessing to use an AI recreation of the actor's voice for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty1

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. Respeecher promotes its voice cloning technology as "ethical, respectful, and beneficial for society" and requires "explicit permission for all voice replications, secured through a mutually signed agreement"3

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. The case raises important questions about when and how AI voice technology should be deployed in gaming, particularly as the industry grapples with broader concerns about generative AI replacing human creativity and labor. Watch for how other studios respond to similar localization challenges and whether this sets a precedent for consent-based AI voice modification in cases involving health-related vocal changes.