Blizzard Denies Using AI-Generated Voices in ‘Overwatch 2’ and ‘Diablo IV’
Blizzard Entertainment is the company “responsible” for some of the biggest games in the history of gaming. The company has given us the likes of Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo and Overwatch, all extremely successful franchises.
And while Blizzard has already cemented its name in the history of gaming, the company has seen an increased number of critics in recent years, and a recent issue might lead to another major controversy.
Namely, players of Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV have accused Blizzard of using AI-generated voices in the game, and the company has responded to these claims online.
The controversy started online, when people on social media reported that new NPCs in the Spanish dub of Diablo IV “aren’t even speaking or pronouncing correctly,” prompting a conclusion that Blizzard used AI-generated voices for this NPC.
A quick response claimed that that Blizzard projects “typically have robotic temp voices generated in-game prior to final VO going in. Something wasn’t plugged in correctly for this with the final VO. We will get it fixed up.” And while the original post has since been deleted, another issue soon appeared.
Namely, German Overwatch 2 players noticed that a new battle pass voice line, featuring iconic healer Mercy, sounded very different from the voice that the German players had been used to until now. Something changed and that prompted the fans to accuse Blizzard of using AI in this case as well.
An official response soon followed:
These voice lines are not AI-generated. Certain localized voice lines in some recent Blizzard game content are currently unavailable or changed. Out of respect for all parties, we will not add new commentary as discussions are ongoing. We look forward to a mutually beneficial outcome as soon as possible where we can bring the talents and creative contributions from these performers back into our games for players to enjoy.
(Source)
As you can see, Blizzard is denying that they are using AI to generate voices for their characters, but while this might be the case now, it is important that the situation doesn’t change in the future, and that the players always get the best possible content.
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