If you have recently played Genshin Impact and some of the characters sound different to you, that is not your imagination. The game has apparently begun to change some of its English voice actors. A did some digging and found out that the reason is some contextual conflict between the SAG-AFTRA voice actor strike and Hoyoverse's agreement with unions, or rather, lack thereof.

Why Are VAs Being Replaced?

SAG-AFTRA is the primary U.S. union representing voice actors, and is currently on strike due to rampant issues such as insufficient payment, lack of recognition, and particularly the application of AI voices. Although Genshin Impact is not a unionized project, a number of its English voice actors are union members, meaning they cannot continue working on the game until the strike is lifted.

To ensure continuity in production, Hoyoverse has contracted non-union voice actors like Jacob Takanashi, who provided the voice of Kinich. This decision prompted backlash on social media to the point where other unionized voice actors labeled him a “scab,” a pejorative term for one who stays employed even during a strike.

Can Hoyoverse Even Join the Union?

Not at all. This is a Chinese company, and under Chinese jurisdiction, it is unlawful to enter into foreign union contracts of the type SAG-AFTRA is asking for. Furthermore, AI-generated voices of actual actors are already prohibited under Chinese law, substantially undermining one of the union’s center issues in this case.

What Does SAG-AFTRA Want?

To continue using union actors, Hoyoverse would have to:

• Turn Genshin into a union production (and drop all non-union VAs), or
• Forcing non-union VAs to join the union is an expensive and limiting move.

Since neither of them are practical, Genshin remains within a legal gray area. In the meantime, players find themselves in the void, listening to voice changes without any dev answers.  

There are nuances to every situation. Safeguards must be placed on voice actors, but there are overarching laws surrounding the topic. For now, it seems, Genshin players will have to contend with some newer voices and an industry struggling to balance creativity, law, and equity.