At a glance
The short version
- Guide type
- Latest
- Read time
- 2 min read
- Last updated
- Nov 12, 2026
Quick answer
The studio says the decision follows a stroke in 2019 that changed the voice of longtime Polish Geralt actor Jacek Rozenek, and that Rozenek himself approved the process.
Why CDPR turned to AI
Rozenek has voiced Geralt in Polish since the first Witcher game, recording around 10,000 lines for The Witcher 3 in
2014. He suffered a stroke in 2019 that left him unable to speak, and returned to voice acting in 2022 after months of daily training. His voice is now noticeably lower and gruffer, according to CDPR localization producer Mikołaj Szwed. Because Songs of the Past is set around the same era as the original game, new lines would sit next to recordings from more than a decade ago, and the difference would sound jarring.
What the AI changes, and what it leaves alone
Rozenek recorded all of Geralt's new Polish dialogue himself. CDPR then partnered with Respeecher, an AI voice company, to adjust the recordings. The tool was trained on Rozenek's own lines from The Witcher 3, and it alters vocal characteristics while leaving his acting, delivery, emotion and timing intact. The change affects Polish only: Doug Cockle, who voices Geralt in English, is recording Songs of the Past normally, with no AI adjustment. CDPR stressed to Game File that this was a special case because of Rozenek's health, and Szwed said the studio would not use AI to alter an actor's voice without that actor's express permission.
About the expansion
Songs of the Past was announced in May 2026 and is scheduled to launch in 2027 as a paid expansion for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch
2. CDPR is co-developing it with Fool's Theory. It takes Geralt to the new region of Letten, with new quests, monsters and mutagens, and a returning chain weapon. A release date has not been announced.
Respeecher previously worked with CDPR on Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, where it recreated the Polish voice of Viktor Vektor. The studio does not expect to need the same treatment for The Witcher 4: Geralt will be older and more grizzled there, so a deeper voice will fit the character.
CD Projekt Red is using Respeecher AI to match Jacek Rozenek's Polish Geralt recordings in Songs of the Past to his 2015 performance, with the actor's consent, after a 2019 stroke changed his voice. The expansion launches in 2027.