The anticipated action game Zenless Zone Zero by MiHoYo has replaced two of its English voice actors unexpectedly, causing fans to speculate widely. In a quiet update, the patch notes disclosed that the voice actors for characters Lucy and Soukaku were changed.
The disclosure has led to confusion among players who claim the replacement was abrupt. The game developers confirmed in the recent update through a brief note saying, “Changed the English voice actors for Agents ‘Lucy’ and ‘Soukaku’ and replaced the corresponding voice lines.”
This single sentence was buried deep within the patch notes and did not provide any additional details about who would be playing these roles henceforth or why they made this change. This lack of information has fueled curiosity within the gaming community.
SAG-AFTRA strikes possibly linked to changes in Zenless Zone Zero
The sudden replacements come at a time when there is unrest within the entertainment industry primarily due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strikes. These strikes started on July 26th as video game voice actors protest artificial intelligence use in their work. They also demand better protection for workers’ rights.
The strikes prevent 160,000 members belonging to SAG-AFTRA from taking up new roles related to video game projects thereby providing grounds for recasting in Zenless Zone Zero.
The original voice actor for Lucy, Courtney Lin, known for her part in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Monster High, and Honkai: Star Rail is also at the center of this development. Her involvement in MiHoYo’s projects has been extensive. However, her Huohuo role in Honkai: Star Rail was similarly recast on 31st July shortly after the protests began. Although the developer (MiHoYo) has not confirmed, this timing has resulted in widespread speculations that the strike might be connected to the changes in Zenless Zone Zero.
No news about new actors in Zenless Zone Zero
Although the original voice actor for Soukaku is not known, fans of the game have been left in suspense about its future since both actors were replaced. It is believed that the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strikes may have contributed to this.
Notably, both Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero were already in development before August 2023 and should thus be exempted from these strike’s limitations. The circumstances surrounding these changes are still a mystery as MiHoYo has not given any reasons, which has only raised more questions.
Without an official statement from MiHoYo, people in the Zenless Zone Zero community can only guess why there was such an abrupt recasting. They try to find links between strikes and voice actor changes, expecting something new to happen as there has been no word from the company concerning this matter yet.
