CD Projekt Red Uses AI to Restore Geralt's Voice After Actor's Stroke

CD Projekt Red is bringing back Jacek Rozenek, the original Polish voice actor for Geralt of Rivia, for the upcoming Witcher 3 DLC "Songs of the Past." Rozenek suffered a stroke in 2019 that left him unable to speak for months. While he regained his speech after extensive rehabilitation, his voice changed noticeably.

The studio wanted Rozenek, who has voiced Geralt since 2007, to continue in the role. However, the DLC takes place during the same time period as the base game, meaning newly recorded lines will sit alongside existing ones. CDPR concluded that Rozenek's current voice, described as "lower and gruffer," would not blend well with the original recordings.

To solve this, CDPR is working with AI voice cloning company Respeecher. Rozenek will record all new dialogue himself, and the AI will adjust his voice to match the original performance from The Witcher 3. The system will analyze approximately 10,000 voice lines from the base game to achieve an accurate match.

Rozenek expressed confidence in his ability to continue playing Geralt and welcomed the AI assistance. CDPR localization producer Mikołaj Szwed described the approach as an ethical use of AI, done with the actor's consent. "Songs of the Past" is scheduled for release next year.