'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The upcoming release of the highly anticipated hack-and-slash, Bayonetta 3, has been mired in controversy over allegations from former voice actor Hellena Taylor. Following Taylor's accusations about the low pay offered by the developers, the current voice actor of the game, Jennifer Hale, released a press statement regarding the issue.
Hale has voiced her opinion on the incident in a veiled manner due to an NDA she has with the parties involved. Regardless, the industry veteran has come out in support of voice actors getting paid what they are owed. She stated in a press release:
"As a longtime member of the voice acting community, I support every actor's right to be paid well and have advocated consistently for this for the years."
Bayonetta 3 voice actor Jennifer Hale urges people to approach the game without prejudice
Jennifer Hale is a veritable giant in the industry, having voiced a number of popular characters in gaming and pop culture. Fans of Mass Effect will remember her as the voice of Commander Shepard, and she has also voiced characters in Overwatch, Bioshock Infinite, Metal Gear Solid, and even TV shows such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Powerpuff Girls.
As such, her statement appears to both acknowledge and support the previous charges levied against PlatinumGames and also mitigate the fallout that ensued as the allegations spread across social media.
Public perception of Bayonetta 3 has taken a huge turn after the original voice actor for the main character urged fans to boycott the game in a series of tweets in which she revealed that she had only been offered $4,000 to reprise her role. Taylor's video messages accusing PlatinumGames of giving her an "immoral" salary went viral on Twitter, accruing millions of views as people flocked to support the actor.
The incident quickly snowballed into a very big backlash against the game, and Executive Producer Hideki Kamiya's response in which he tweeted "Beware of my rules" caused even more fans to get upset. Amid this, Jennifer Hale came out with her statement in support of actors getting paid well.
Hale admitted that she could not speak much about Bayonetta 3 due to a non-disclosure agreement with the studio but announced that her "reputation" was enough to make a statement on the issue:
"I am under NDA and am not at liberty to speak regarding this situation. My reputation speaks for itself."
In the spirit of damage control, Jennifer Hale closed her statement by imploring fans to keep their minds open regarding Bayonetta 3 because it was a team effort:
"I sincerely ask everyone to keep in mind that this game has been created by an entire team of hard-working, dedicated people and I hope everyone will keep an open mind about what they’ve created."
Twitter reacts to Jennifer Hale's statement
Voice actors, people from the video game community, and fans of Bayonetta all expressed their opinions about the statement. Here are some of the reactions:
Bayonetta 3 will be released on Nintendo Switch on October 28, and although the controversy about voice actors not getting paid well has raged on the internet for quite some time, PlatinumGames is yet to officially comment on the issue.
