CD Projekt Red altered newly recorded Polish dialogue for Geralt of Rivia in the upcoming Witcher 3 expansion Songs of the Past. The studio worked with the Ukrainian AI company Respeecher to adjust the lines so they would match the timbre and delivery of the original recordings made before voice actor Jacek Rozenek suffered a stroke.
Background on the change
The original Witcher 3 released in 2015 with Rozenek as Geralt's Polish voice. Development of Songs of the Past began years later. In the intervening period Rozenek experienced a stroke that changed the sound of his speech. CD Projekt Red decided the new lines should remain consistent with the established performance rather than introduce an audible break. The studio obtained Rozenek's permission before proceeding with the AI adjustment.
Respeecher processed the fresh recordings to bring their acoustic qualities closer to the pre-stroke material. The work covers dialogue written for the expansion and additional lines still in production. No other voice performances in Songs of the Past received the same treatment. The English-language version continues to use the existing recordings without reported modification.
Studio comments and method
A CD Projekt Red representative stated the decision directly: "I do think this is one of those ways where you can use AI ethically." The studio framed the step as a narrow technical fix rather than a broader experiment in voice synthesis. The adjustment was applied only after the actor reviewed and approved the plan. Respeecher's system was used to match existing audio rather than generate new performances from text alone.
The Polish localization team handled the recordings in the normal production pipeline. Once the lines were captured, they were passed to Respeecher for processing. CD Projekt Red has not indicated plans to apply the same workflow to future projects or to other characters. The company has also not disclosed the exact cost or time savings, if any, from the approach.
Scope of the AI use
The modification is confined to the Polish version of Songs of the Past. No equivalent changes were made to the English tracks or to other language localizations. The studio has not reported using generative AI for any other audio elements in the expansion, such as music, sound effects, or additional character voices. The limited application follows from the specific circumstance of one actor's health-related vocal change.
Why it matters
For players who rely on the Polish dub, the adjustment keeps Geralt's voice continuous across more than a decade of releases. The decision rests on explicit actor consent and targets only the lines needed for the new content. That narrow framing separates the case from wider debates about unauthorized voice cloning or replacement of living performers.
Studios working on long-running series now face a practical question when an actor's voice changes for medical reasons. Recasting risks breaking immersion; continuing with altered speech can also disrupt expectations. The CD Projekt Red example shows one technical route that preserves the original performance characteristics while requiring the actor's agreement. Whether other developers adopt similar tools will depend on contract terms, actor preferences, and the quality of the results produced by current AI systems.
The outcome here demonstrates a contained application: AI was used to maintain an existing characterization rather than to create new material without the performer's involvement. Future projects will test whether this remains an exception or becomes a standard option when health issues affect voice work.
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