You’ve probably heard the voices. Neuvillette’s booming authority or Paimon’s high-pitched chatter. They are the soul of Teyvat. But for a long time, the people behind those voices were struggling behind the scenes. When the Genshin Impact VA strike chatter first started bubbling up, it wasn't just about one game. It was a boiling point for an entire industry.
Voice actors are tired.
Actually, they're beyond tired. They are worried. Between unpaid wages from recording studios and the looming shadow of AI, the strike wasn't just a "Genshin thing." It was a survival thing. Honestly, if you play the game, you might have noticed some weirdness with voice lines being delayed or certain characters suddenly going quiet in new patches. That's the real-world impact of a labor dispute hitting your favorite gacha game.
What actually sparked the Genshin Impact VA strike?
Money talks, but sometimes it doesn't show up in the bank account.
In mid-2023, high-profile actors like Brandon Winckler (who voiced several NPCs) and Corina Boettger (the voice of Paimon) went public. They weren't just complaining about low pay. They were talking about months of missing checks. Imagine being the voice of the most recognizable mascot in a multi-billion dollar franchise and not being able to pay your rent. It sounds fake, but it was the reality.
The issue wasn't necessarily HoYoverse directly. Usually, these big developers hire external recording studios—like Formosa Interactive—to handle the casting and recording. When those studios don't pay the talent, the talent has to make noise. The Genshin Impact VA strike became a rallying cry for better transparency.
It's a messy web. You have the developer (HoYoverse), the studio (Formosa), the union (SAG-AFTRA), and the actors. When one link breaks, the whole thing stalls.
The AI problem nobody wants to talk about
If you think the strike was just about a few missing paychecks, you're missing the bigger picture. The SAG-AFTRA video game strike, which heavily involves the Genshin cast, is obsessed with AI protections.
Actors are scared.
They’re scared that a studio will take their voice samples from a four-hour session and use AI to generate new lines forever without paying them another cent. In a game like Genshin, where characters get new lines every few months for years, that’s a death sentence for a career. The strike is about ensuring that if a machine speaks with your voice, you get paid for it. It’s that simple, yet the "big guys" in the suits are making it incredibly complicated.
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Why Teyvat went silent for a while
If you were playing during the 4.7 or 4.8 updates, you might have seen the dreaded "Audio not available" message in some world quests.
That was the strike in action.
When the union calls for a work stoppage against a specific studio, the actors stop. Period. They don't go into the booth. They don't record the "idle" lines. They don't do the combat grunts. HoYoverse had to scramble. They released statements saying they supported the VAs and were pressuring the studios to pay up, but the damage to the player experience was already done.
It was a wake-up call for fans. We take the "Gold Standard" of Genshin's production for granted. We expect a massive update every six weeks like clockwork. But that clockwork is powered by human lungs and vocal cords. When those humans stop, the "Living World" of the game starts to feel very empty and very mechanical.
Different rules for different regions
One thing that confuses people is why the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean voices keep working while the English ones stop.
Labor laws are localized.
The Genshin Impact VA strike is primarily an English-language issue involving SAG-AFTRA. The Japanese voice acting industry has its own massive, highly respected union system that operates totally differently. This creates a weird tension in the community. Some "global" players just switch to Japanese audio and move on, which kind of undermines the leverage the English actors are trying to build. It’s a tough spot to be in when your replacement is just a setting toggle away.
The Formosa Interactive controversy
Formosa is a giant. They’ve worked on everything from The Last of Us to League of Legends. But they became the "villain" of this story for many fans.
The union accused them of trying to bypass strike rules by hiring non-union actors or creating "shell" projects. This escalated things. It wasn't just a "pay us" dispute anymore; it became a "respect the union" war. When you see actors like Anne Yatco (Raiden Shogun) or Erika Harlacher (Venti) tweeting support for the strike, they aren't just doing it for fun. They are risking their relationship with one of the biggest casting offices in the world.
That takes guts.
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Most people think being a VA is all glamour and anime conventions. It’s not. It’s sitting in a padded box for hours, screaming until your throat bleeds, and then hoping the studio actually sends the direct deposit before the 1st of the month.
How this changes the future of Gacha games
Genshin set the template. Now, games like Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero have to navigate these same waters.
The industry is watching. If the VAs win better AI protections and guaranteed payment schedules, it sets a precedent for every game coming out of China or Korea that wants to hit the Western market. Developers are starting to realize that "English Voice Acting" isn't just a checked box on a localization list. It's a massive part of the brand's identity.
Can you imagine Furina without her specific theatrical flair? Or Zhongli without that smooth, gravelly resonance? You can't. The VAs know their worth, and the Genshin Impact VA strike was the moment they decided to make everyone else acknowledge it too.
Misconceptions about the strike
People love to take sides without the facts. Let's clear some stuff up:
- The actors don't hate HoYoverse. Most of them have gone on record saying they love the characters and the fans. Their beef is with the middleman recording studios and the lack of contract protections.
- It's not just about "more money." It's about "agreed-upon money." Many of these actors were literally not being paid for work they did months prior.
- The strike isn't "killing the game." Genshin is making billions. It'll survive. But the quality of the "Global" experience depends on these disputes being settled fairly.
What you can actually do as a player
It’s easy to feel helpless when your favorite game is caught in a labor war. But the community actually has a lot of power.
First, stop blaming the actors for "ruining" a patch. If your favorite character doesn't have a voice in a new quest, don't @ the actor with complaints. They want to be working. They just want to be treated like professionals.
Second, pay attention to the credits. Start learning which studios are union-friendly and which ones are being called out. The more the player base understands the "business" of the voices, the more pressure there is on companies like HoYoverse to hire responsible partners.
Third, keep the conversation alive. The Genshin Impact VA strike succeeds when people care. If it fades into the background, the studios have no reason to change.
Actionable insights for the road ahead
If you're following this story, here is how to stay informed and support the ecosystem:
- Follow SAG-AFTRA on social media. They post specific updates about which games are "struck" and which ones have signed the "Interim Interactive Media Agreement." This is the best way to know if a strike is still active.
- Check the "Notice to Members." Before you criticize a delay, check if there's a standing order for VAs to avoid certain studios. It’s usually public info on the union website.
- Support actors directly. Many VAs have Twitch streams or Print stores. If you want to support the voice of your "main" while they aren't recording, that’s the most direct way to help them stay afloat.
- Demand transparency from developers. Use the official feedback surveys in the Genshin app. Tell them you value high-quality, union-protected voice acting and that you’re okay with delays if it means the talent is treated fairly.
The reality is that Teyvat is a world built on stories. And stories need voices. Ensuring those voices are protected from AI theft and predatory payment cycles isn't just "pro-actor"—it's "pro-game." We all want the same thing: a version of the game that sounds as good as it looks, where the people who bring our favorite heroes to life aren't struggling to keep the lights on.