Resident Evil & Witcher 3 Mocap Director Speaks on Layoffs & AI’s Impact on Gaming

The motion capture director behind Resident Evil Village and The Witcher 3’s DLCs has weighed in on the current uncertainty in the gaming industry. While acknowledging the wave of layoffs affecting developers and actors, he remains confident that AI won’t replace human performers “anytime soon.” 🎭💡

With motion capture and voice acting being essential to immersive storytelling in games like Resident Evil Village and The Witcher 3, actors are now fighting for their rights amid the rise of AI-powered technology.

🚨 The Gaming Industry Faces Layoffs & AI Challenges

The video game industry is going through a difficult phase, with layoffs hitting major studios in 2025. While job cuts aren’t new—companies like Blizzard have gone through massive downsizing in the past—the rise of AI now presents an even bigger challenge.

⚠️ Key Concerns:

🔹 AI-Generated Voices – AI can now replicate the voices of actors, raising concerns that studios could replace voice actors entirely. 🎙️🤖
🔹 Actor Rights & Strikes – Many actors fear their likenesses and past performances could be used without their consent, leading to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.
🔹 Industry Uncertainty – Despite massive game successes, even top studios face budget cuts and layoffs, making job security a major issue.

Now, a respected industry figure is speaking out.

🎥 Resident Evil Village Mocap Director Speaks on AI & Gaming’s Future

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Steve Kniebihly, the performance capture director behind The Witcher 3’s DLCs and Resident Evil Village, reflected on the industry’s instability.

💬 “Layoffs, budget cuts, and uncertainty have made it clear that nothing is guaranteed—even for successful studios,” Kniebihly stated.

With 2025 barely underway, multiple studios have already announced layoffs, continuing a trend that has persisted for years.

🎙️ Will AI Replace Voice Actors?

Despite ongoing fears, Kniebihly doesn’t believe AI will fully replace voice actors anytime soon. He argues that AI lacks the human chemistry that drives powerful performances in gaming. 🎭✨

🤖 Why AI Won’t Take Over (Yet!):

✅ Lack of Human Emotion – AI can mimic voices, but it can’t replicate the raw emotion and chemistry between directors and actors. 💔🎤
✅ Trust & Collaboration – The best performances come from an exchange of trust, something AI simply can’t replicate. 🏆🎬
✅ Gaming is About Storytelling – Players connect with characters, not just voices—and human actors bring authenticity to those roles. 🎮❤️

However, AI’s role in gaming is growing, and actors continue to fight for fair rights.

🚨 SAG-AFTRA Strike & Ongoing AI Negotiations

🎭 Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA, recently revealed shocking details about industry demands:

🔹 Game producers want actors to allow past voice performances to be used in AI training, even if they were outside existing contracts.
🔹 Some studios want AI-generated voices to replace striking actors.
🔹 These demands have been rejected, and the strike continues with no resolution in sight.

🏆 Final Thoughts – The Future of AI & Motion Capture in Gaming

As AI technology advances, the gaming industry must find a balance between innovation and fair treatment of artists. While AI-enhanced tools can help developers improve efficiency, they shouldn’t come at the cost of human creativity and job security. 🎮💡

💬 What do you think? Should AI have a role in voice acting, or should studios stick to human performers? Drop your thoughts in the comments! 👇💬