For the Polish version of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, CD Projekt chose to keep the late Miłogost Reczek’s voice in the game. The company hired another actor to perform the lines, then used Respeecher to modulate that performance so it sounded like Reczek.
The decision was presented as a tribute to Reczek’s talent. It also puts a practical example of AI voice cloning alongside broader questions about consent, creative work and the role of human performers.
A performance built from two voices
CD Projekt considered replacing Reczek with another actor. Instead, the developer kept his voice as the target for the performance, while a new actor supplied the recorded delivery.
Respeecher’s technology then changed the new actor’s voice to sound like Reczek. The result was used in the Polish version of Phantom Liberty, the latest expansion to Cyberpunk 2077.
This approach differs from simply casting a replacement and presenting that actor’s voice in the game. It combines a living performer’s work with a digital process intended to recreate qualities associated with a deceased performer.
The company says it consulted Reczek’s family
CD Projekt said it consulted with Reczek’s family beforehand. The source does not provide further details about that consultation or describe the family’s response, so the company’s statement is the available account of how it handled the decision.
The stated aim was to honor Reczek’s talent by retaining the sound of his performance. That choice makes the family consultation part of the story, alongside the technical method and the decision not to recast the role outright.
Why voice cloning raises difficult questions
Voice cloning can raise ethical concerns because a person’s voice is part of their work and identity. When the performer has died, questions about permission and how their voice is used become especially consequential.
The case also connects to concerns about employment for voice actors and the value of human labor as generative AI spreads. Similar debates have emerged around artists and copywriters, whose work can also be changed or produced with AI tools.
Here, the process still involved a human voice actor: CD Projekt hired someone to perform the lines before the voice was modulated. That detail matters when considering how AI affected the production. The technology altered a performance rather than replacing the need for a performer to record it.
A specific use, with wider implications
CD Projekt’s choice shows one way a game developer can use AI voice technology to retain a familiar voice in a localized release. It also illustrates why the method cannot be judged only by whether the final audio sounds convincing: the source account highlights family consultation, the tribute to Reczek, and concerns about work and ethics.
The source does not explain how the technology was trained, what permissions were arranged, or whether the approach will be used again. What it does establish is a clear sequence: another actor performed the lines, Respeecher changed the voice, and the company said it had consulted Reczek’s family. Those facts frame the central question for future uses of voice cloning: how can a production preserve a performance while treating the people whose voices and labor shape it with care?