Disappointingly, but not surprisingly, everyone in the talent industry is going through it. And no, there’s nothing good about it. Chinese game developer HoYoverse has struck a chord with the Genshin Impact community after it had been found out that the video game’s English voice actors have yet to be paid.
This controversy comes at an apt time where Hollywood actors and writers are on strike—the first time that the WGA and the SAG-AFTRA are on simultaneous strike since 1960, for a number of reasons—including pay.
Genshin Impact English voice actors Corina Boettger and Brandon Winckler, both took to Twitter on July 12, 2023, to voice out their frustrations over the money that HoYoverse owed them for the work they’ve done. Note: Genshin Impact is one of the highest-grossing video games in the world and raked in about $4.267 billion gross as of March 2022.
Boettger is the voice actor for Paimon, the Traveler’s companion in-game and Winckler voices a number of minor characters in Genshin Impact.
I have a big giant ridiculous callout thread primed and ready to go, but I'll leave it at this (for now)
Pay your fucking actors on time. I'm so sick of waiting 3+ months for payment for literally the BIGGEST video game project out there.
Voice Actors. Demand your payments.
— Brandon Winckler (@BWincklerVA) July 11, 2023
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
I have been waiting for payment from sessions that stretch back to DECEMBER 2022… kind of ridiculous how I am struggling to pay rent because this studio on this big project hasn't been paying me for my work. https://t.co/KCHcOdyFIJ
— Zulu & Lima (Corina, digi-destined) (@thebirdzulu) July 12, 2023
In their frustration, Winckler said that he had sent five emails to the developer asking for his payment and that it was “inexcusable” for him to wait for over four months for his pay when the game earns millions in a month. Boettger had also revealed that they had been struggling to pay their rent due to the overdue payment from the work they had done back in December 2022.
Both actors have also urged for the popular game to be unionized, so problems like this do not happen again to others. Developers for games such as ‘Call of Duty’ have also started to unionize in the past years.
With all that said, 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. I'm sorry to be so negative. UGH.
— Brandon Winckler (@BWincklerVA) July 13, 2023
I have been working for months that have gone unpaid. This is unacceptable AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED VIDEO GAMES TO BE UNION. ACTORS NEED TO BE PROTECTED.
— Zulu & Lima (Corina, digi-destined) (@thebirdzulu) July 12, 2023
As of July 14, 2023, HoYoVerse has released a statement regarding the missing payments.
HoYoverse statement regarding the missing VA payments
Via https://t.co/NsLlYz5jfb#GenshinImpact #HoYoverse pic.twitter.com/HbzqS21zZW— Genshin Update (@GenshinUpdate) July 14, 2023
Both Boettger and Winckler were notified of the actions taken by the developer, and thanked HoYoverse for their quick response and their fans for sticking up for them.
I want to thank Mihoyo for moving so quickly on this. I haven’t heard anything personally, but I’m glad steps are being taken to make things right. I’m really sorry it came to this and it had to blow up like it did. I’m not sure if folks would have been made aware if not.
— Brandon Winckler (@BWincklerVA) July 14, 2023
I have finally gotten word that things are being fixed. Thank you everyone.
— Zulu & Lima (Corina, digi-destined) (@thebirdzulu) July 14, 2023
Ultimately, it all boils down to one thing to be said: PAY YOUR ARTISTS.
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