Genshin Impact's Big New PS5, PS4 Story Has Been Downgraded in English 1
Image: Push Square

Those of you enjoying your adventure in Natlan, the newest region added to Genshin Impact, will have to do so without voice acting – as it’s speculated the ongoing strikes involving union SAG-AFTRA mean some of the characters in the latest story update are lacking their English dub. Chinese juggernaut HoYoverse hasn’t commented specifically on the issue, simply citing “recording arrangements” as the cause.

Key characters like Kinich and Kachina aren’t voiced in the crucial new Archon quests, which continue the main plot of the free-to-play RPG’s storyline.

Sometimes side-quests and events in Genshin Impact don’t have voice acting, although its main storyline is always fully voiced. It’s possible the voices will be patched in later, although this creates a dilemma for players: those who finish the latest quests within a designated time period will be rewarded with in-game currency for doing so. Waiting for the dub to be added could mean missing out on Primogems.

There’s been all sorts of drama involving HoYoverse’s voice talent recently, with actor Adam Michael Gold’s performance as Argenti and Tail in Honkai: Star Rail recently replaced, along with Courtney Lin’s turn as Huohuo. We’d never considered the potential issues created by maintaining a growing cast like this in a live service environment, but as its games grow in scale, it’s clear this is becoming a real headache.

There’s nothing to explicitly confirm the SAG-AFTRA strikes are the culprit, although they seem like the likeliest reason. Of course, we respect and support the actors’ rights to fight back over AI concerns, but also it’s a shame to see the final products affected like this. The bottom line is that Natlan’s story simply isn’t going to hit as hard without its voice talent. Perhaps that helps illustrate the union’s overarching argument, but ultimately it’s the players’ experience that’s going to suffer.

[source hoyolab.com, via eurogamer.net]