Genshin Impact voice actors claim they haven’t been paid in months

Several voice actors for characters in the free-to-play title have stated that they were not paid for their work, causing some to struggle financially.

The details:

• Corina Boettger, the voice of the player's companion, Paimon, took to Twitter to share that they had yet to be paid for an unnamed "big project" and that the studio's failure to pay the actor on time had resulted in financial difficulties. “I am owed THOUSANDS of dollars,” they wrote. “I am struggling currently to pay rent because of this. This project has made BILLIONS of dollars. This should be a Union project." Boettger has missed two days of recording as a result of the situation, and it appears that they are willing to continue to be absent until the situation is resolved.
• However, Boettger stated that they are unsure whether the lack of payment is the fault of the developer, HoYoverse, or the voice-over studio that provided talent to the developer. Brandon Winckler, another Genshin Impact voice actor with credits in some of gaming's biggest titles, was more direct in his criticism, naming Formosa Group, the studio hired by HoYoverse to create the title. "After a fifth email with no response, This is regarding Genshin Impact," the thread begins. "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. Many non-union productions have this problem. I've waited anywhere from 4 to 8 months for payment, and even then, it isn't much to ask. 1,000 here, 500 there, and it adds up fast.”
• Formosa is not the only VO studio used by HoYoverse; the cast for its most recent title, Honkai: Star Rail, was provided by Rocket Sound. Winckler, who has also voiced other characters in Star Rail, stated that he "loves" Rocket Sound, blaming Formosa rather than the game's developer.
• To avoid issues like this, both voice actors have requested that the game be produced under a union contract, specifically SAG-AFTRA. Kyle McCarley, a Fire Emblem and Nier voice actor echoed the same message, noting that Formosa handles both union and non-union contracts. "This game has been eroding VO industry standards since it started recording," McCarley said. "The cast had to fight for over a year just to get a [two-hour minimum]. Now this? Whole cast should follow Brandon's lead here.”

More gaming news:

• Sony is reportedly investing $2.1 billion in PlayStation R&D, with a strong emphasis on live service projects. The company previously stated that it plans to have a total of 12 live service titles on the market by 2026 and that 60% of the PlayStation 5's game development budget will be spent on the projects in the coming years.
• Bulkhead, the developers of Battalion 1994, are now refunding fans who backed the game's original Kickstarter after failing to support it after its official release. The studio announced that anyone who backed either the PC or console versions can now fill out a survey to receive a full refund, which will be made via PayPal in the coming months.