Genshin Impact Recasts Prominent Voice Actor, Wuthering Waves Unveils Latest Content Update

It’s a tale of two multiplayer gacha RPGs in this news post, as both Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves have some headlines, and one of those headlines, as you can see, isn’t exactly a sunny one.

We’ll start with the unpleasant news that one of Genshin Impact’s voice actors, John Patneaude, had his role of Kinich recast by Hoyoverse as of the RPG’s most recent patch. This decision came after the developer refused to sign an interim agreement that would grant protections against using his talent to train AI – a sticking point that has been at the crux of ongoing strikes engaged by SAG-AFTRA union members.

“[O]bviously, a recast is not what I wanted. I’d hope that any progress behind the scenes would be made and I could come back safely,” reads Patneaude’s statement. “Unfortunately, I was wrong.”

The statement from Patneaude urged other members of Genshin Impact’s English voice cast to speak up in support of his decision (though some of those actors also criticized Patneaude’s replacement). Meanwhile, gamers have been voicing their discontent against the union, prompting voice actor Kyle McCarley to try to explain the strike’s intention, targets, and methods. If nothing else, at least one gamer has shared a solid meme that summarizes the whole mess, albeit in an obviously reductive manner.

As for Wuthering Waves, Version 2.2 has gone live, bringing with it two new characters and their respective weapons, two new regions to explore, some new quests to take on, a new gear set benefit for aero-wielding characters, and a host of new events. The patch notes link provides more salient information, while a trailer for the new patch is available for viewing below.

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