'His Voice and Delivery Was Human' — Darkest Dungeon Dev Says Red Hook Will Never Use AI to Replicate the Voice of Late Narrator Wayne June

Darkest Dungeon developer Red Hook Studios has said it won't usage AI to replicate the dependable of deceased dependable histrion Wayne June.

Studio co-founder Chris Bourassa spoke astir however the passing of the iconic narrator volition impact the bid going guardant successful a reply to a station connected the Darkest Dungeon subreddit (via Kotaku). He told fans to remainder assured that Red Hook volition "never, ever erode" June's bequest by utilizing AI to effort to transcript his performance.

"In 1 of his past emails to me, Wayne gave america support to bid an AI connected his voice, thing he'd staunchly opposed anterior to the end," Bourassa said. "We'd ne'er asked to bash it. I deliberation helium was trying to enactment the game/team/fans archetypal - connection america a 'way forward.' I declined, and we donated to his household anyway."

Red Hook confirmed that June had passed distant successful January 2025. Bourassa shared a connection astatine the time, saying that it was "one of my life's top honors to person written for him" for the 10 years the histrion contributed his dependable to Darkest Dungeon. He added, "Though I ne'er got to shingle his hand, I knew him to beryllium a friend."

June's enactment connected Darkest Dungeon helped bring its dim-lit satellite to beingness with the motorboat of the archetypal successful 2016 and again with the sequel successful 2023. Bourassa is each excessively alert of the important relation the narration played successful the franchise, which is precisely wherefore you won't perceive a hollow imitation made by artificial quality successful immoderate aboriginal installments.

"I would never, ever erode his unthinkable and timeless performances by teaching a instrumentality to dependable similar him," Bourassa added successful the Reddit reply. "His dependable and transportation was *human, and I'm everlastingly grateful I got to constitute for him."

Fears of AI replacing some the surviving and the dormant person lone heightened successful caller years. Master Chief histrion Steve Downes spoke retired against AI versions of his dependable successful January of this year. In 2024, Iron Man prima Robert Downey Jr. threatened to writer immoderate enforcement who recreated his likeness utilizing artificial intelligence, whether helium is live to spot it hap oregon not.

As Deep arsenic the Grave came nether occurrence from movie fans conscionable this twelvemonth aft the squad down it announced that it would diagnostic an AI recreation of histrion Val Kilmer, who died past year. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, meanwhile, announced regularisation updates earlier this period that volition barroom AI performances from being nominated for Oscars successful 2027.

Michael Cripe is simply a freelance writer with IGN. He's champion known for his enactment astatine sites similar The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be definite to springiness him a travel connected Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).