Bayonetta 3 isn’t set to release on Nintendo Switch until later this month, but the game has already been surrounded by controversy. It all started at the beginning of October, when director Yusuke Miyata confirmed that actress Hellena Taylor will not be reprising her role as the titular character. Miyata cited a scheduling conflict, but Taylor revealed this past weekend that she turned down the role as she was unhappy with the payment offer. As a result, developer PlatinumGames cast Jennifer Hale in the role, and Taylor has proposed that fans boycott the game. Today, Hale spoke out on Twitter, offering a statement about Taylor’s comments.
“I am under an NDA and am not at liberty to speak regarding this situation. My reputation speaks for itself,” Hale wrote on Twitter. “I sincerely ask that everyone 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.”
The Bayonetta franchise has never been a major seller. While the first game was a critical success, it wasn’t a commercial one, and a sequel seemed unlikely. Nintendo provided funding and publishing duties to make Bayonetta 2 on Wii U, and now Bayonetta 3 for Nintendo Switch. If the game’s small fanbase were to boycott Bayonetta 3, it could make it so that a fourth game is less likely.
As Hale points out in her statement, there are a lot of different people that work on a video game, and the voice actors are just one piece of the overall puzzle. At the end of the day, fans of the series will just have to decide for themselves if they want to avoid Bayonetta 3 as a result of the recasting. There are no right answers, and Hale finds herself in an unenviable position when she had nothing to do with the dispute that created this situation in the first place.
Fans interested in checking out Bayonetta 3 can grab it on October 28th, exclusively on Nintendo Switch. In the meantime, readers can check out all of our previous coverage of the game right here.
Are you disappointed that Bayonetta has been recast? Do you plan on picking up Bayonetta 3? Let us know in the comments or share directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
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