TLDR: Françoise Cadol, the long-standing French voice of Lara Croft, is suing Aspyr Media for allegedly using AI to replicate her voice in the recently released ‘Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered’ without her consent. This legal challenge emerges amidst broader industry concerns, including a collective pushback from the ‘Apex Legends’ French cast against AI voice training and similar issues faced by other voice actors in the same game remasters.
Françoise Cadol, the acclaimed French voice actor for Lara Croft across numerous ‘Tomb Raider’ titles, has reportedly initiated legal proceedings against Aspyr Media, the developer behind ‘Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered’. The lawsuit centers on allegations that Aspyr utilized artificial intelligence to replicate Cadol’s voice for new dialogue lines within the remastered collection, specifically those introduced in Patch 2 on August 14, 2025, without her knowledge or authorization.
The issue first came to light when vigilant fans, whom Cadol affectionately refers to as ‘the guardians of the voices,’ noticed discrepancies in Lara Croft’s voice in the remastered games. They reported a distinct ‘robotic imitation’ that was ‘very choppy, lacking in intonation, or, on the contrary, poorly performed,’ yet still bearing Cadol’s unique timbre. Cadol, who also famously dubbed Angelina Jolie’s performance in the ‘Tomb Raider’ films, expressed profound disappointment, stating to Le Parisien that the use of AI was a ‘betrayal’ and ‘total disrespect’ to both her and the dedicated fanbase. ‘It’s a game, my voice accompanies the gamers, we play together,’ Cadol remarked, highlighting the deep connection she shares with the community.
Jonathan Elkaim, Cadol’s lawyer specializing in intellectual property and AI, emphasized the noticeable difference in the AI-generated voice, describing its ‘very strong metallic impact.’ Elkaim has issued a formal notice to Aspyr, demanding the withdrawal of the compilation from sale and requesting documentation to determine the number of copies sold, with the aim of seeking appropriate compensation. He also accused Aspyr of ‘misleading’ consumers by not disclosing the use of AI-generated voices.
This incident is not isolated. Brazilian voice actor Lene Bastos, who also voiced Lara Croft, similarly discovered that her voice had been replaced with AI-generated audio in the remasters. Aspyr has acknowledged Bastos’s situation, attributing the issue to an external partner who modified original recordings with generative AI without proper approval. The studio stated it does not condone such practices and pledged to remove all AI-generated voice assets in an upcoming patch, though it remains unclear if a similar commitment has been made directly to Cadol.
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The controversy underscores a growing tension within the entertainment industry regarding the ethical and legal implications of AI. Earlier this year, the entire French cast of the popular multiplayer shooter ‘Apex Legends’ collectively refused to sign agreements that would permit their voices to be used for training generative AI. Pascale Chemin, the French voice of Wraith in ‘Apex Legends,’ articulated their stance, saying, ‘We are asked to give up our expertise to train the generative AI that will replace us tomorrow.’ This collective action, alongside unfair labor practices complaints filed against Epic Games by a coalition of actors and voice actors in the United States, and statements from Japanese voice actor unions opposing unapproved AI voice replication, illustrates a global movement by voice professionals to protect their rights and livelihoods in the age of artificial intelligence.
