AI voice – Red Hook says it will never use AI to copy late narrator Wayne June, citing respect for his “human” delivery and legacy.
A promise made in the wake of grief is now shaping how one of gaming’s best-known narrators lives on: Red Hook Studios says it will never use artificial intelligence to replicate the late Wayne June’s voice for Darkest Dungeon.
Red Hook co-founder Chris Bourassa addressed the decision in a response to a post on the Darkest Dungeon subreddit. speaking directly to fans worried about what happens after the death of an iconic performer.. He reassured players that June’s legacy will not be “eroded” by any AI attempt to copy the style of narration that helped define the series.
The reassurance carries extra weight because it comes with an uncomfortable detail: Bourassa said that in one of June’s last emails. the actor gave permission to train an AI on his voice.. Bourassa also said June had opposed the idea earlier. and that permission appeared to be part of a broader attempt to offer a “way forward” for the game. the team. and the fans.. Bourassa stated that Red Hook never asked for that training. that he declined. and that the studio instead donated to June’s family.
Red Hook also confirmed that Wayne June passed away in January 2025.. Bourassa shared a message around that time describing it as one of the greatest honors of his life to have written for June for the decade the actor contributed his narration to Darkest Dungeon. adding that while he never got to shake his hand. he considered him a friend.
June’s work. as described by the studio. helped bring Darkest Dungeon’s dimly lit world to life at the launch of the original in 2016 and again when the sequel arrived in 2023.. That long-running partnership is exactly why Bourassa emphasized the difference between honoring a performance and attempting to imitate it with machines.
In his Reddit reply. Bourassa said the studio would not “teach a machine” to sound like June. framing the choice as a refusal to reduce June’s “incredible and timeless performances” to something hollow.. He described June’s voice and delivery as “human. ” and said he remains grateful he got to write for the actor.
The studio’s stance lands in a broader cultural moment where fears about AI replacing voices and likenesses have become more common.. In recent years. the question of whether AI can or should reproduce performances from living or deceased talent has been repeatedly tested in public debates across entertainment.
Those concerns have already spilled into high-profile reactions elsewhere in the industry.. It was reported that Steve Downes. who voices Master Chief. spoke out against AI versions of his voice earlier this year.. Around the same time period, Robert Downey Jr.. threatened legal action against any executive who recreates his likeness using artificial intelligence. whether he is able to respond directly or not.
Movie audiences have also faced similar controversies.. This year. Deep as the Grave drew criticism after it was announced that the film would include an AI recreation of Val Kilmer. who died last year.. Separately. the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced rule updates barring AI performances from being nominated for Oscars in 2027.
For gamers and for the entertainment industry watching the spillover. Red Hook’s decision highlights a growing split: even when AI reproduction is technically possible or permission is discussed. studios may choose to treat a performer’s “human” delivery as something not meant to be reconstructed.. In that sense. the debate is no longer just about capability—it is about consent. intent. and what fans are asked to accept as a substitute.
June’s story, as recounted by Bourassa, also shows how consent can become complicated at the edges.. Permission to train an AI does not automatically translate into the use of that permission. and Bourassa’s account makes clear that the studio framed its response as prioritizing June’s wishes as well as his family’s place in whatever comes next.
Looking ahead to future Darkest Dungeon installments. the message is simple and firm: players should not expect a machine-made imitation of a narrator who helped define the franchise’s identity.. Instead. Red Hook is positioning its next steps around preservation without copying. and around the idea that some performances are meant to remain unmistakably tied to the person who delivered them.
Darkest Dungeon Wayne June AI voice Red Hook Studios Chris Bourassa voice acting rights