CD Projekt Red is using AI to adjust Geralt’s Polish voice for Songs of the Past, the upcoming expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Actor Jacek Rozenek approved the assistance, which aims to bring his new recordings closer to his original performance.
Rozenek has voiced Geralt in Polish since the first Witcher game. A stroke in 2019 left him unable to speak for months. He eventually returned to acting, but his voice became lower and gruffer following his recovery and the years since his original recordings.
He previously recorded new dialogue in 2021 for a quest included in The Witcher 3’s 2022 next-gen update. Even that smaller session left him exhausted, despite the rehabilitation work that had helped him return to the role.
Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher 3
Why the expansion needs a consistent voice
Songs of the Past takes place during the same period as The Witcher 3’s main story. Players will hear newly recorded dialogue alongside older lines, including new battle cries and reactions while exploring existing areas. An abrupt change in Geralt’s voice would be especially noticeable in that setting.
The AI treatment modifies the sound of Rozenek’s recorded performance. Its purpose is to match the earlier recordings, while preserving the emotional range of his delivery, including shouts, groans, anger, fear, and laughter.
“The point is that this voice should be as close as possible to my voice from 12 years ago,” Rozenek said. He also expressed trust in the game’s creators.
The English voice is not getting the same treatment
CD Projekt Red localization producer Mikołaj Szwed described the decision as “a special case” tied to Rozenek’s health and the need to place recordings from different periods next to each other. He acknowledged concerns about AI in voice acting and pointed to the actor’s consent as central to this use.
The studio is not planning equivalent AI adjustments for Doug Cockle, Geralt’s English voice actor. Players using the English dialogue will hear his performance without this voice-matching treatment.
