A voice actor from Genshin Impact has been recast due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA actors’ union strike, causing others to come out in support.
John Patneaude was the voice of Kinich in the free-to-play adventure from HoYoVerse, but in a statement shared on social media they revealed they have been recast due to the strike over AI protections.
“I’ve been withholding voice-over services during the SAG-AFTRA Interactive Strike because Hoyo/Cognosphere wouldn’t offer AI protections in the form of a SAG Interim Agreement,” they said. “They’d kept my character’s dialogue silent for months, all the while I had made the difficult decision to continue not going in until an interim agreement was signed and this ultimately was why I was recast.”
They continued: “Now obviously, a recast is not what I wanted. I’d hoped that any progress behind the scenes would be made and I could come back safely, or that if recast auditions went out my colleagues wouldn’t read for them. Unfortunately, I was wrong.”
Patneaude described Genshin Impact as a “comfort game during the early parts of the pandemic” and called the role a “dream”.
“I would and can return if Hoyo invites me back and signs an interim,” they concluded. “I stand by my choices regardless of the outcome. Also, the strike is still ongoing – please don’t believe disinformation on the internet.”
Earlier this month, the actors’ union stated the strike would continue due to “alarming loopholes” allowing for “AI abuse”. Negotiators on behalf of the bargaining video game companies, meanwhile, stated “meaningful progress” had been made.
Following Patneaude’s recasting, other voice actors from Genshin Impact have come out in support.
Paimon voice actor Corina Boettger has been particularly vocal, stating on social media: “There is a HUGE difference when you take the role of an actor who is striking for AI protections. You are no castmate of mine.”
Replying to a response asking what to do in Hoyo’s shoes, Boettger said: “I would sign the SAG interim agreement so that all my actors can have AI protections and then they could come back right away to voice these characters with no gap.”
Albedo actor Khoi Dao said: “Any video game can bring back their FULL voice cast IMMEDIATELY during the strike, once they agree to enforceable AI protections via a SAG interim agreement, and the game CAN still keep its non-union actors after doing so.
“This is not a union actor vs non-union actor conflict. The goal of the strike is to ensure that this craft isn’t lost to AI. We’ve got a common goal, which is why so many NU actors are holding the line alongside their U cast mates, despite having no obligation to do so.”
The news follows a similar situation with HoYoVerse’s other game, Zenless Zone Zero.
Earlier this month, both Emeri Chase and Nicholas Thurkettle were recast due to the ongoing strike, and only found out once the game’s latest patch went live.
Recording studio Sound Cadence Studios responded to the news at the time, stating: “Every contract at our studio features explicit AI protections, regardless of union status. Much of our staff are actors themselves, and could not in good conscience offer other performers work we would not be willing to take.”
It added: “We respect the decisions of all actors in navigating the ongoing strike, and fully support SAG-AFTRA in its AI negotiations.”
HoYoVerse itself is yet to publicly comment. Eurogamer has contacted the company for a statement.
For more on why the strike remains ongoing, check out our interview with Mass Effect’s Jennifer Hale, who described AI as “an existential issue for all of us”.