MiHoYo Recasts Genshin Impact Voice Actor Due to SAG-AFTRA Strike Over AI
|
|
- Genshin Impact voice actor John Patneaude was recast after withholding services during the SAG-AFTRA strike over AI protections.
- Fellow cast members have spoken out in support, urging HoYoVerse to sign a SAG interim agreement that would allow actors to return.
- This follows similar recasting incidents in Zenless Zone Zero that happened earlier this year.
Genshin Impact has quietly recast the voice of Kinich, following voice actor John Patneaude’s decision to withhold services during the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike over AI protections. The move has drawn vocal support from fellow cast members, reigniting debate over game publishers’ reluctance to sign interim agreements that would safeguard actors from AI replacement.
In a statement shared on social media, Patneaude confirmed he was removed from the role after refusing to work without an agreement that included enforceable AI clauses. “They’d kept my character’s dialogue silent for months,” Patneaude wrote. “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.”
Patneaude emphasized that he would return if HoYoVerse signed an agreement, and warned fans not to fall for online disinformation: “The strike is still ongoing.”
Other Genshin Impact actor Corina Boettger, the voice of Paimon, stated: “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.” When asked what the publisher could do, Boettger responded: “Sign the SAG interim agreement so that all my actors can have AI protections.”
Albedo voice actor Khoi Dao echoed the call for better safeguards, clarifying that the issue isn’t about union vs. non-union actors but the preservation of the craft itself: “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.”
It is worth noting that as of September 2024, Genshin Impact had generated approximately $6.3 billion in lifetime mobile revenue, with $1.9 billion earned in its first year, $1.8 billion in the second, and $1.6 billion in the third year. On top of that, Genshin Impact is projected to reach $10 billion in revenue by the end of 2025.
This isn’t the first time MiHoYo/HoYoverse has faced criticism over casting decisions amid the strike. Earlier this month, voice actors Emeri Chase and Nicholas Thurkettle were also recast in Zenless Zone Zero, only finding out after a patch went live.
The news comes on the heels of the first-ever North American direct-join and industry-wide video game workers union being launched at the 2025 Game Developers Conference earlier this month and the continuing SAG-AFTRA’s strike over AI exploitation as the union highlighted loopholes in contract proposals.
