AI Voices for Games: Uses, Rules and Tips
AI voices for games speed up prototypes and placeholder lines, but Steam disclosure and SAG-AFTRA rules apply. See the uses, the rules and a practical workflow.
Developers use AI voices for games in prototypes, placeholder lines and some shipped dialogue. Three things set the limits: storefront disclosure rules, performer rules for digital replicas of real actors, and your own quality bar. You can use AI voices in a video game, but check each of these before any line ships.
Where AI voices for games fit in development
The useful question is not whether AI voices are allowed, but how each use is classified. The table is this post's synthesis of the sourced rules below. It is not legal advice.
| Use | Typical status | Rule or caution | |---|---|---| | Prototype and placeholder lines | Development only | Steam's survey asks about AI used during development | | Shipped narration or NPC lines | Pre-generated content | Describe the use in the Steam survey; Valve evaluates the output | | Lines generated while the game runs | Live-generated content | The same rules, plus a statement of guardrails | | A voice based on a real, identifiable performer | Digital replica | Consent and a specific description of use under the SAG-AFTRA agreement, for covered producers | | Minor system sounds such as pings | Licensed TTS | Reported for Arc Raiders: licensed with actors' approval for less essential lines |
Platform rules: what Steam asks you to disclose
Steam's content survey asks you to disclose generative AI if your game "used AI services during development or incorporates AI services as a part of the product", and to "describe that implementation in detail". There are two categories. Pre-Generated content was made with AI tools during development and shipped. Live-Generated content is created "while the game is running". The survey covers narrative, sound and localization among other areas. Valve says it "will evaluate the output of AI generated content in your game" (Steamworks content survey). Live-generated content also needs a statement of "what kind of guardrails you're putting on your AI", to prevent illegal content.
Disclosure is common. Video Games Chronicle reported, citing a Totally Human analysis dated 2025-07-17, that nearly 8,000 Steam titles had disclosed generative AI use as of mid-July 2025. That is about 7% of the library, and 60% of the disclosures were for visual assets. The same analysis did not give a voice-specific figure, and we found none, so none is stated here (VGC).
Performer and union rules
SAG-AFTRA's 2025 Interactive Media Agreement for video games was ratified by 95.04% of voting members, with voting closing on 2025-07-09. As reported by Graphic Policy and Decrypt, the contract requires consent and disclosure before a performer's digital replica is used. Producers must give a "reasonably specific description" of the intended use. A law-firm summary adds that a replica must be "objectively identifiable" as the performer, including as an in-game character. We did not read the full agreement text, so treat these as reported terms.
The Fortnite case shows how this plays out. On 2025-05-19, SAG-AFTRA filed an unfair labor practice charge with the NLRB against Llama Productions, Fortnite's signatory company, over an AI-powered voice of the late James Earl Jones. Epic said the voice was used "with permission from his family". We found no ruling in our research (VGC).
These rules cover union signatories and replicas of identifiable performers. They do not say that every synthetic voice needs a union's approval, so do not read them that way.
What players and developers think
The GDC 2026 State of the Game Industry report, based on more than 2,300 respondents, shows how sentiment has shifted. 52% said generative AI is having a negative impact on the industry, up from 30% the year before and 18% the year before that. 7% said it is positive. 36% use generative AI tools in their jobs. The most negative roles were visual and technical art (64%), game design and narrative (63%) and programming (59%). The report does not single out voice work (GDC).
Arc Raiders is a useful case. Push Square reported on 2026-03-16, summarizing a GamesIndustry.biz interview with Embark Studios CEO Patrick Söderlund, that Embark used text-to-speech for some in-game dialogue and re-recorded some lines with human actors after launch. The remaining TTS, mainly ping audio, was licensed with actors' approval. Söderlund's quote was "A real professional actor is better than AI; that's just how it is." (Push Square).
A practical workflow for AI game dialogue
A clear workflow keeps your disclosure accurate and your cast consistent:
- Write lines by character, with a one-line brief for each one: role, age, attitude.
- Assign each character a voice. Design or clone a voice for a recurring character only from a recording you have permission to use.
- Give each line a short direction, and add tags such as
<tsk>or<chuckle>where the moment calls for them. - Generate in short batches. Listen to each line, and change one thing at a time.
- Keep a log of which lines were generated and with which tool, so your platform disclosure is accurate.
- Replace key lines, such as story moments and hero dialogue, with human recordings before release.
Tips for believable NPC voice lines
Short lines work best. A bark of one or two sentences is easier to get right than a long monologue. Separate barks from cutscenes: a bark needs energy and clarity, while a cutscene needs pacing and room for pauses.
Pick deliveries that suit the voice. ElevenLabs notes that deliveries already present in a voice's training data, such as whispering or shouting, are easier for the model to reproduce. Test any experimental tag in a short clip before you rely on it in production. Keep one consistent voice per character, so players can recognize who is speaking.
Make game character voices with OndaLabs
The Dialogue studio has a game character example: a gruff tavern keeper with the voice Algenib and the direction "gruff, suspicious tavern keeper, low and gravelly", with <tsk> and <chuckle> in the script. You can build two-character scenes in the Dialogue studio and keep your cast in custom voices. Designing a voice from a text description costs 1,500 credits, and cloning from a recording you have permission to use costs the same. Custom voice slots are 3 on Creator, 10 on Pro and 30 on Business.
Commercial use is included on Starter and above, so a shipped game needs a plan that covers commercial use. Check your plan terms and your storefront's rules before release. You can compare plans on the pricing page. For how to script two-character scenes, see multi-speaker text to speech.
Frequently asked questions
Can you use AI voices in a video game?
Yes, with conditions. Developers use AI voices for placeholders, prototypes and some shipped dialogue. Storefronts such as Steam ask you to disclose AI use, and performer rules apply when a voice replicates a real, identifiable actor. Check your plan's commercial terms before you ship.
Does Steam require you to disclose AI voices?
Steam's content survey asks you to disclose generative AI used during development or incorporated into the product. Valve says it will evaluate the output. Pre-generated and live-generated content fall into separate categories, and live-generated content also needs a statement of guardrails.
Do SAG-AFTRA rules cover AI voices in games?
Partly. The 2025 video game agreement requires consent and disclosure before a performer's digital replica is used, as reported by trade press. It covers signatory producers and replicas of identifiable performers, not every synthetic voice. For a specific project, get advice from a lawyer who knows performer agreements.
Should I use AI voices as placeholders or in the final game?
Both are common. Placeholders let you test pacing and scripts early, and they are low risk when they never ship. If AI voices do ship, disclose them, check performer rules, and consider human recordings for key moments, as Embark reported doing for some Arc Raiders lines.
Can I use AI-generated lines in a commercial game?
OndaLabs includes commercial use on Starter and above. Whether a voice is cleared for a specific release also depends on your storefront's disclosure rules and any performer agreements that apply. Read your plan terms before you ship.