The recent buzz surrounding the recasting of Kinich’s English voice actor (VA) in Genshin Impact has sparked significant discussion within the gaming community. This issue, initially limited to Western audiences, has now captured the attention of the Chinese player base, further escalating the debate.
To provide some background, the original voice of Kinich, John Patneaude, was replaced following his long absence due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, which aims to combat unethical AI utilization in the gaming industry. However, rather than receiving support, his successor, Jacob Takanashi, has faced backlash from some existing English voice actors who criticized him for stepping into a role during an active strike.
The Fallout: Demands from the Chinese Community
The controversy surrounding Kinich’s voice recast quickly drew the ire of the Chinese community associated with Genshin Impact. This player base is recognized for its outspoken nature, and they have expressed dissatisfaction, calling for HoYoverse to consider replacing the “extremely unprofessional”English voice actors involved in the debacle.
Following the revelations regarding the VA switch, players took to social media platforms such as Weibo, Bilibili, and Xiaohongshu to voice their discontent, with some even uninstalling the game as a form of protest against what they perceive as unprofessional conduct by certain English VAs toward Takanashi.
Members of the SAG-AFTRA union have requested that HoYoverse agree to the SAG Interim Agreement, which would align the studio with union standards, complicating the employment of non-union voice actors. The official SAG-AFTRA account has also urged HoYoverse to accept this arrangement. Yet, this move has not been favorably received by the Chinese community, which perceives it as an attempt by American voices to pressure HoYoverse.
CN community’s reaction to EN Kinich VA swap + EN VA’s reaction to the swap (translated posts) by u/boyiqing in Genshin_Impact
In addition to demanding voice actor replacements, the Chinese player base has condemned instances of alleged harassment directed at Jacob Takanashi by English VAs. A user on Bilibili, identified as 木子依-mz, encapsulated the sentiment with the remark:
“Damn EN VAs are kind of crazy.”
As this situation unfolds, the critical question remains whether HoYoverse will respond to the calls from their core audience for change among the English voice cast. The outcome of this controversy may significantly impact the dynamics between the gaming community and voice actor practices.