‘Genshin Impact’ voice actors allege they haven’t been paid, call for unionisation

Two Genshin Impact voice actors have alleged on social media that they have not been paid for their performances in the role-playing game.

“I’m so sick of waiting 3+ months for payment for literally the BIGGEST video game project out there,” said Brandon Winckler, who is credited for several different characters in Genshin Impact.

Winckler added that there has been “no response” to their multiple requests for payment. “I personally won’t be working on this game anymore unless it goes under a Union contract. I don’t have much to lose from this choice – and if I’m lucky, I hope others will at least see where I’m coming from with that choice.”

After a fifth email with no response, This is regarding Genshin Impact. Inexcusable for us as actors to be waiting 4+ months for pay when you make $86 million per month. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon problem- (thread) https://t.co/BPBW3WibG9

— Brandon Winckler (@BWincklerVA) July 13, 2023

Corina Boettger, who lends their talents to the player’s companion Paimon and has a large number of lines in Genshin Impact, also suggested that they have had difficulty securing compensation for their work.

“I am struggling currently to pay rent because of this,” they said, and again promoted the necessity of unionisation like Winckler. They clarified that it’s not known whether the alleged miscommunication is to do with miHoYo itself, or with Formosa Group — the third-party studio in charge of Genshin‘s English language dub.

There have been a number of reported issues with Formosa Group. In 2016, actors walked out as a result of poor working conditions with Formosa Group, and in April of this year, CEO Bob Rosenthal exited the company in what was described as a “surprise” departure.

Employees then petitioned for Rosenthal’s return and restore “his unhindered leadership, so he can continue navigating our future successfully, the way he has for the past decade.”

In a statement to Video Games on Sports Illustrated, Genshin publisher HoYoverse voiced support for the actors and said it “truly regrets” the events that have transpired.

“Genshin Impact values and respects the work and effort of everyone involved, and we support our voice actors to claim their proper due,” reads the comment. “We have made payments to our recording studio on time, and we immediately urged the studio to pay our voice actors from our past payment. Meanwhile, we are also seeking alternative solutions. And we will keep you posted on further developments.”

NME has reached out to Formosa Group for comment.

In other gaming news, Assassin’s Creed Codename Red is aiming for a release in 2024, according to Ubisoft’s business development and brand partnership team. The next game is one that fans have been waiting for, as it promises a “very powerful shinobi fantasy”.