There’s no way to separate Wayne June from Darkest Dungeon. Like Logan Cunningham’s work as a narrator in Supergiant Games Bastionevery narrow victory and heartbreaking defeat in Red Hook Studios’ dark fantasy dungeon crawler is punctuated by June’s sinister, unwavering, sorrow-filled voice. He died in January 2025, and director Chris Bourassa recently confirmed that he would never use generative AI to try to resurrect his ghost.
“In one of his last emails, Wayne gave us permission to train an AI on his voice, something he had strongly opposed before the end,” Bourassa wrote on the site. Darkest Dungeon subreddit this week in response to fans discussing how a potential Darkest Dungeon 3 could handle the late actor’s unique talents. “We never asked to do this. I think he was trying to put the game, the team and the fans first – giving us a ‘path forward’. I refused and we donated to his family anyway.”
Cyberpunk 2077 used generative AI to imitate the voice of the actor who played Viktor Vektor in the Polish version of the game after his death from cancer in 2021. “Don’t fucking do that,” Deus Ex Voice actor Elias Toufexis said when a modder tried to swap his voice in CD Projekt Red’s sci-fi RPG using AI. Epic Games even used it to make James Earl Jones bark at players In Fortnite like Darth Vader. Red Hook Studios draws a line where others have not.
“I would never erode his incredible and timeless performances by teaching a machine to sound like him,” Bourassa wrote. “His voice and delivery were *human, and I will be forever grateful to have been able to write for him.”
June’s voice is particularly touching in Darkest Dungeon 2where a roguelike adventure structure provides more space for dramatic storytelling and ambient tension. “Wayne’s singular baritone and masterful cadence elevated everything he read. He was a consummate professional and his love of his craft was an inspiration,” Bourassa said. said when he passed. “His inimitable work is woven into the very fabric of our industry in a way that cannot be forgotten. »
