Keqing Voice Artist Just Apologised And It’s Not a Good Look

Image via Stealthless

 Imagine being Jacob Takanashi. You’ve just landed a career-defining role and you’re eagerly flipping to the next page of your story — only to find it smudged with black ink. With controversy clinging to your name, you’re left watching comments being replaced from insults to death threats in mere moments. The kicker? Your “co-workers” are among those very comments, making you the villain of a story created outside your knowledge. 

The incident occurred about a month ago and things have not died down since then. Keqing’s VA has also posted an apology tweet since but that only fueled the fire. This article will center itself around her actions, the community’s reactions, and the surrounding context. Let’s dive in.

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PS: If you’re not in the loop, we'd suggest checking out my previous article. It dives deep into what SAG-AFTRA is, what they stand for, how the VA's reacted to Jacob, how Genshin Impact got dragged into the mess, and the legal implications of it all. 

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

The issue 

Here’s the tweet that set the whole drama in motion. In response to Jacob’s post, where he expressed gratitude for landing the new role: Kayli Mills (Keqing’s VA) mocked Jacob for taking up the job and even suggested an alternative – to not be credited. The community was quick to point out the hypocrisy. Why? That is because she as a union worker should not be working in a non-union company either way. 

Her choice to work in a non-union company means that she is taking away jobs from non-union workers and going against her contract with the union. Union workers are not allowed to work in non-union projects. Yet, many VA’s take up jobs in non-union projects for the sole reason – money makes the world go around. She also defended her comments by stating “it’s how KEQING would have responded FOR the people”. Yet, that's not all she had to say about this tweet.

Keqing Voice Artist's Justification

After facing backlash Kayli attempted to justify her actions by referencing Jacob’s recent mortgage purchase, suggesting that he, unlike many others, did not need financial gain from the role.

Since then, she has kept silently reposting many tweets against Jacob and the community as well. Her attitude struck a nerve within the community causing fans to protest against her recent VA role of Rapi, where fans spammed the comments with calls for recasting. That might have struck a nerve, as an apology soon followed.

The Apology That Didn’t Land

Kayli’s apology tweet arrived but many fans saw it as a halfhearted PR move rather than a genuine effort to make amends. One fan even rated it “2/10.” The apology raised more questions than it answered. Why now? Why so vague? And why did she contradict Paimon’s VA, who previously stated the English cast is underpaid?

In contrast, Kayli claimed most Genshin VAs are paid union-level rates — despite the game being non-union. That admission only added to their walking contradictions. Which may have played a part in her account deletion. To point out, her apology clearly states that she wants to help resolve the misunderstandings behind the strike and so on. Yet, the VA themselves are not able to arrive at a proper consensus on what they’re actually doing. Some voice actors even called Jacob a scab. The irony just doesn’t stop. 

Let’s Talk About “Scabs”

In casual terms, a “scab” is someone who works during a strike – especially in roles meant for union members. It’s a word, often aimed at those going against the union.

Jacob, a non-union VA based in Japan, was unfairly labeled a “scab” by some in the community. But here’s the twist: if Genshin Impact is truly non-union, then any SAG-AFTRA member — like Kayli or other English VAs – working on it is, technically, scabbing too as they’re breaking union rules by being involved in a non-union project.

So why was Jacob singled out to such an extent? Did they not consider that actions have consequences and that they represent a community? Despite SAG-AFTRA being very controversial on its own, any positive progress made might have been affected via this controversy. Kayli is only one of controversial figures that has arised out of this and it’s to be seen how Hoyoverse will handle this situation. Will all these VA’s be replaced? Or will they move forward in a new direction? 

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, the VA community’s reactions say more about internal rifts than any one casting choice. Kayli’s apology might be a step forward, but for many fans, it leaves a lot to be desired and could be too late to be considered. The contradictions, double standards and ongoing hostility have left the community wondering: who’s upholding the values they claim to stand for?

Until those questions are answered, the backlash won’t be going anywhere. Yet, it’s important to remember that death threats are never the answer and no hate should be directed to any individuals involved. 

If you want to look at more data about how many English VA’s are involved, one member of the community- u/wandering0ff on Reddit, compiled it all in a spreadsheet along with actions and accusations made by the VAs. 

Written By: Sarah Dar (Writing Intern, India Today Gaming)