"In one of his last emails to me, Wayne gave us permission to train an AI on his voice, something he'd staunchly opposed prior to the end. We'd never asked to do it. I think he was trying to put the game/team/fans first - offer us a 'way forward'. I declined, and we donated to his family anyway."
"I would never, ever erode his incredible and timeless performances by teaching a machine to sound like him. His voice and delivery was *human, and I'm forever grateful I got to write for him."
"Wayne's singular baritone and masterful cadence elevated everything he read. He was a consummate professional, and his love of his craft was an inspiration."
"Cyberpunk 2077 used generative AI to mimic the voice of the actor who played Viktor Vektor in the Polish-language version of the game after he died of cancer in 2021. "Do not f*cking do that," Deus Ex voice actor Elias Toufexis said when a modder tried to swap his voice into CD Projekt Red's sci-fi RPG using AI. Epic Games even used it to have James Earl Jones bark at players in Fortnite as Darth Vader."
Wayne June’s voice is closely tied to Darkest Dungeon’s emotional impact, shaping both victories and defeats with a sorrow-filled delivery. After his death in January 2025, director Chris Bourassa confirmed the studio would not use generative AI to resurrect June’s voice. Bourassa said June had given permission in a late email to train an AI on his voice, but the studio declined and instead donated to his family. Other games have used generative AI voice mimicry after actors died, including Cyberpunk 2077, Deus Ex-related mod attempts, and Fortnite’s use of James Earl Jones as Darth Vader. Bourassa emphasized that June’s performances were human and timeless, and that the studio would not erode them by teaching a machine to sound like him. June’s voice is especially impactful in Darkest Dungeon 2, where the roguelike structure supports more dramatic storytelling and tension.
Read at Kotaku
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