Principles Are More Important Than Technology: Creators of Darkest Dungeon Refused an AI Version of the Narrator

Chris Bourassa, head of Red Hook Studios, says the studio will not use generative AI to recreate the late Wayne June’s voice. June himself — before he died — even offered to have his recordings train a neural network to give the series a "way forward," but Bourassa declined. He made clear he won't let a machine cheapen June's singular "human (hum.)" delivery; it felt wrong to him. Major firms like CD Projekt Red and Epic Games are already trying AI voiceovers for deceased actors, yet the team behind Darkest Dungeon chose a different route: no digitization, and practical support directed to June’s family.