Genshin Impact’s Voice Line Controversy: What The SAG-AFTRA Strike Means

You log into Genshin after a long day, maybe to farm, explore, or just chill. Yet, something feels off. The voice lines don't sound the same… and suddenly, you’re left with a single question “what’s going on?” 

As the SAG-AFTRA strike continues to stir up the gaming world, Genshin Impact has become deeply affected despite being non-union. Let’s get into it all, including what SAG-AFTRA is and why the English voice actors in Genshin Impact are being replaced.

Popular Games

View All

What Is SAG-AFTRA?
 

In simple terms, SAG-AFTRA looks out for voice actors by protecting their rights. Which leads to an important question- why is Genshin Impact even part of this protest, when it should not even be affected by the strike due to its status of being Non Union? Why did SAG-AFTRA even try to call out Hoyoverse’s official accounts on Twitter and link to their interim agreement? 

It all revolves around the voice acting contracts and who gets to decide how these voices are used. Another issue wrapped around this topic is how the substitute VA’s are being treated – do they deserve it?

Why Is Jacob Takanashi Caught in the Crossfire?

When Genshin hired Jacob Takanashi to voice Kinich, a replacement for the previous VA, it kicked up a storm. Why? Because some SAG-AFTRA VAs weren’t too happy about it. Calling him a “scab” (a term used for replacements during strikes), they went after Takanashi. Despite Genshin not being the target of the strike
It’s a sticky situation where union loyalties clash with what’s legally happening in the industry, leaving players confused. After all, union VA’s are getting mad that a non-union worker joined a non-union company?

The Demands And After-Effects

If Hoyoverse doesn’t agree to SAG's terms; it would mean they have to let go of all the union-VAs – who roughly make up 2/3rd of the English VAs who've worked in Genshin. This is due to the 1st clause in the union where VA’s cannot work at a company that has been striked or they will be fined.

Agreeing to SAG's terms doesn't just mean prohibiting AI. SAG wants to turn Genshin into a union project, which means one of two things:

Either, they will have to let go of all the non-union VAs within a maximum of 3 months.

OR

All the non-union-VAs themselves must pay a hefty annual fee to join SAG, where SAG will then have the power to decide what they can and cannot work on.

Is This Response Even Necessary? 

Things get even more complicated as Genshin Impact is a Chinese company; under Chinese law, they’re legally restricted from using AI-generated voices based on existing VA recordings. So, that nullifies the main reason SAG-AFTRA is even involved with Hoyo. If they’re bound by such laws, why are we seeing a strike over the same issue? Even if Hoyoverse agrees to be with the union, which has been seen by Chinese companies before, it begs another question, will the agreement even be legal?

Can Hoyoverse Even Legally Say Yes?

In short- no. Hoyoverse is a chinese company, meaning it cannot legally sign a union agreement not based in China! It’s against Chinese law to do so. So, how does that work out? How can a union, based outside of China, enforce its demands when the company isn’t subject to those same laws? 
With this interim agreement floating around, it’s to be seen how this will affect Hoyoverse’s ability to hire VAs from outside the US. If the company can’t legally sign those agreements, what does it mean for all those talented voice actors from around the world? There are alot of questions with little answers provided. What do you think of this controversy and do you think Hoyoverse should join the union?