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

Paimon VA Corina Boettger among them

Update (July 15, 2023): Following HoYoverse's statement regarding the missing payments for Genshin Impact voice actors (see the update from July 14 below), Corina Boettger wrote that they've been notified of action being taken to get them their due payments.

"I have finally gotten word that things are being fixed," wrote Paimon's VA.

I have finally gotten word that things are being fixed. Thank you everyone.

— Zulu & Lima (Corina 🍉) (@thebirdzulu) July 14, 2023

Brandon Winckler thanked MiHoYo/HoYoverse for quickly moving to resolve the situation after having been informed about it.

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 VO (@bwincklerva) July 14, 2023

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Update (July 14, 2023): HoYoverse has provided us with a statement regarding the missing payments for Genshin Impact voice actors:

“We truly regret to learn about the ongoing situation. Genshin Impact values and respects the work and effort of everyone involved, and we support our voice actors to claim their proper due. 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.”

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Original (July 13, 2023): Genshin Impact cast members Corina Boettger, who voices the important role of Paimon, and Brandon Winckler, who is credited with several minor roles, claimed on social media that they haven’t been paid for months for their work on the game. Winckler explicitly named HoYoverse’s flagship title as the source of his woes, while Boettger was a bit less specific.

Boettger, who has by far the most lines out of any voice actor in the game, wrote that they're being owed thousands of dollars and are “struggling currently to pay rent because of this.”

Again... been working for MONTHS unpaid on a BIG project for a studio. I am owed THOUSANDS of dollars. I am struggling currently to pay rent because of this. This project has made BILLIONS. This project should be Union.

— Zulu & Lima (Corina 🍉) (@thebirdzulu) July 13, 2023

Winckler called the situation “inexcusable” and said that he “won’t be working on this game anymore unless it goes under a Union contract.”

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 VO (@bwincklerva) July 13, 2023

It’s worth noting that they are not accusing developer HoYoverse of not paying them. Boettger themselves said as much, writing “we don’t know if this is the fault of the studio, or the game company.” There seem to be no payment issues for the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean voice talents.

The English dub of Genshin Impact is being handled by a studio called Formosa, which in 2016 was already the subject of a video game voice actor’s strike due to unfair working conditions. The company’s CEO resigned in April 2023.

Winckler seems to be getting paid for his work on Honkai: Star Rail, another HoYoverse game, on time. That title’s English dub is being handled by a different studio called Rocket Sound, which the voice actor stated he loves to work with.

In any case, both voice actors stated the need for the work on the game to be put under a union contract regardless of whose fault the delayed payments are.

We’ve asked HoYoverse and Formosa for a statement on this matter and will update this story as it develops.