In a decision that has once again strained relations between HoYoverse and Western activists, Genshin Impact’s version 5.5 update has confirmed the replacement of John Patneaude, the original English dub voice actor for the character Kinich, with Tokyo-based voice actor Jacob Takanashi.
The recasting, officially announced on HoYoverse’s HoYoLab community forum, follows Patneaude’s six-month-long refusal to reprise the role due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA Interactive Strike. The strike, aimed at securing protections against the use of artificial intelligence in voice acting, has paradoxically led to the displacement of many actors for refusing to work.
John Patneaude, a they/them activist associated with Atlas Talent Agency, addressed the situation on Twitter, stating that he had withheld his participation since Kinich’s initial appearance in version 5.0 released on August 28th, 2024. He secured a significant role in a major game like Genshin Impact and then promptly demanded that HoYoverse sign a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement to safeguard against the rising use of generative AI in the gaming industry. After more than six months of no response, he was subsequently replaced.
“I had hoped progress would be made behind the scenes,” Patneaude wrote, adding a subtle dig at his replacement: “or that if recast auditions went out, my colleagues wouldn’t read for them. Unfortunately, I was wrong.” Even after getting kicked to the curb, Patneaude hinted they’d be willing to come back, if HoYoverse decides to bend the knee to SAG-AFTRA.
The only problem? Their part has now been taken by somebody else actually willing to perform.
The decision to recast Kinich with Takanashi, a non-union voice actor affiliated with Japan’s Free Wave agency, has unleashed a firestorm of backlash from Western activists and English-speaking Genshin fans. Takanashi, unaffected by SAG-AFTRA’s jurisdiction in Japan, confirmed his new role on Twitter, acknowledging the “big shoes to fill” and promising to deliver his best performance given that this may likely be their first big-ish role in such a major property.
Unfortunately, Takanashi’s debut has been met with backlash, as some have accused him of “stealing” a role that Patneaude willingly vacated by choosing not to work during their strike.
Many English voice actors, especially those involved in activist movements against HoYoverse, have criticized the recasting. Corina Boettger, best known as the voice of Paimon, the cute mascot character of Genshin Impact made her stance clear by replying to Takanashi’s announcement with a blunt, “This isn’t a passing of the torch,” signaling her disapproval in the recasting.
Benjamin Callins meanwhile, a they/them activist whose only claim to fame is Netflix’s The Dragon Prince, went full meltdown mode on Twitter, ranting, “This is so wrong. SO wrong. You STOLE a job from someone fighting for ALL of our rights. Yours included. The disrespect from you to play this off like it was a gift to you is sick.”
He capped off his unhinged tirade with, “I hope it was worth it, because I guarantee not a lot of people will want to work with you again,” basically throwing out what sounded like a thinly veiled threat of blacklisting.
Meanwhile, Anairis Quiñones, the voice of Lynette in Genshin Impact and Feixiao in Honkai: Star Rail, decided to chime in, telling HoYoverse to “negotiate with SAG-AFTRA and sign the agreement.” And shocker, the union’s Twitter account was right there, nodding along.
This latest controversy echoes past outrage over Genshin Impact, particularly the backlash against the Natlan region. Activists accused HoYoverse of racial appropriation, arguing that despite being inspired by African deities and folklore, the region lacked Black characters and instead featured “lightly tanned” designs.
A failed boycott followed, leading to waves of performative outrage on social media, with race-swapped fan art even receiving praise from some of miHoYo’s own English dub voice actors, such as Dani Chambers who voiced the character of Nilou.
Despite the noise, HoYoverse’s success remained untouched. Zenless Zone Zero alone raked in $100 million in July 2024, proving that these protests had little impact on the company’s bottom line.
For years, the English-speaking Genshin Impact fandom on Twitter has been a hotspot for activists who thrive on moral grandstanding. They demand more racial representation, call for support of global political causes like Palestine and Ukraine, yet at the same time insist that HoYoverse, an entirely profit-driven Chinese company should completely change its business model to cater to their ideals.
They rant about “oversexualization” of female characters in gacha games, failing to understand the genre’s roots in fantasy and self-insert escapism tailored towards male audiences, all while pushing same-sex and transgender head canons onto characters to validate their own agendas.
The recent outrage surrounding Jacob Takanashi only highlights something that has been clear for years: the Western voice acting industry is less concerned with improving working conditions and more focused on using their influence to bully companies into submission. Their priority isn’t fair treatment but control.
Now, these same actors have shifted their focus to criticizing a fellow voice actor who did nothing wrong except accept a role he was rightfully offered after the previous actor deliberate chose not to return, and we’re supposed to act surprise that they’re terminated as a result of that.
But, of course, such activists are calling it a betrayal, claiming Takanashi is ruining the fight against AI, though some might say that this whole crusade is starting to feel more like an excuse to keep non-SAG-AFTRA union talent out of the industry. Honestly, at this point, it’s hard to ignore how much of a joke these performative activists have become.
Despite the outrage, HoYoverse is sticking to its guns, choosing continuity and professionalism over all the activist bullshit. Patneaude decided to bail on the role, turning down a steady paycheck and job security just to try and pressure companies into giving in to SAG-AFTRA’s demands. HoYoverse, on the other hand, just moved on.
Takanashi’s casting is the result, and no amount of Twitter meltdowns is going to change that.
Takanashi’s voice is now in the game with version 5.5, and HoYoverse is planning to re-record Patneaude’s earlier lines in future updates. The company’s silence about the strike and AI protections fits with its usual approach to dealing with Western outrage, whether it’s the Natlan boycott, a McDonald’s collab, or voice actor disputes like the ones in Zenless Zone Zero.
As SAG-AFTRA’s battle against AI collapses (with deals allowing AI voices in games), HoYoverse’s resilience just shows how out of touch the company’s global goals are with the virtue-signaling bullshit of its English-speaking talent. With HoYoverse showing no signs of backing down, one thing’s clear: Western voice actors do not or will ever call the shots on behalf of large global companies.
