Embark Studios has achieved something remarkable: an extraction shooter, Arc Raiders, that genuinely captivates a broad audience. Just a day before its highly anticipated launch, it ranks as the third most-wishlisted game on Steam, right after Subnautica 2 and Valve’s Deadlock. Beyond its player-friendly approach—where account wipes are optional and losing gear doesn’t mean losing all progress—I believe the game’s stunning visual style and immersive sound design are key to its widespread appeal. While it shares the familiar backdrop of a gritty, post-apocalyptic world with many other extraction shooters, Arc Raiders distinguishes itself with vibrant, makeshift raider gear, awe-inspiring robot designs, and a pulsating synth soundtrack. Yet, a curious detail on Steam has caught many eyes: a somewhat ambiguous artificial intelligence disclosure. This raises an important question: did AI contribute to Arc Raiders’ exquisite visual presentation?
“We can confidently state that Arc Raiders absolutely does not use generative AI for any of its visuals,” explained design director Virgil Watkins in a pre-launch interview. “Our application of AI is strictly limited to machine learning and reinforcement learning, which we use to manage the complex locomotion of our multi-legged drones. There is no generative content involved at all.”
I pressed him further, asking if this was the sole reason for the AI disclosure, especially recalling Embark’s use of a text-to-speech system for new voice lines in their earlier multiplayer title, The Finals. Watkins admitted he wasn’t entirely sure about the specifics of the storefront page, but confirmed that Arc Raiders indeed utilizes the same voice line technology.
“Just like in The Finals, we employ a text-to-speech model,” Watkins elaborated. “Our voice actors are specifically contracted with the understanding that AI will be used for certain purposes. This technology empowers our ping system, allowing it to dynamically vocalize every item name, location, and compass direction. It’s a crucial tool that eliminates the need for voice actors to re-record lines every time we introduce a new in-game item.”
Intriguingly, Embark’s CEO, Patrick Soderlund, also touched upon the studio’s AI integration in a recent interview with The Game Business. He recalled the initial concept for Arc Raiders—originally a purely PvE experience—stating that ‘the core gameplay loop was heavily reliant on significant advancements in artificial intelligence, encompassing both reinforcement learning, machine learning, and other related fields. We envisioned building an entire game around that innovative AI experience.’
Later in that same conversation, Soderlund highlighted how Embark utilizes AI and procedural generation to accelerate their development cycles, particularly within their ‘content creation pipelines.’
“Soderlund emphasized that achieving development speeds 100 times faster demands a radical shift in approach. ‘You have to discard what you know and fundamentally rethink the modifications and transformations needed to revolutionize our methods,’ he stated. ‘This led us to embrace procedurally generated content, integrate AI and machine learning into our content creation pipelines, and develop new tools, recognizing that many traditional tools we’d relied on were decades old.'”
It’s clear, then, that while AI is an integral part of Arc Raiders’ development process, Watkins firmly asserts that generative AI plays no role in its visually impressive aesthetic. For more insights, our extended conversation with Watkins delves into the team’s unique approach to difficulty, reminiscent of Dark Souls, the tangible benefits of ‘wiping,’ and much more.
As the game’s launch approaches, we recommend reviewing the Arc Raiders system requirements. Additionally, our comprehensive guides on Arc Raiders Hatch Keys and the best Arc Raiders builds will prove incredibly useful.
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