"An Insulting Offer" — Bayonetta's VA Calls For Boycott After Only Being Offered USD4,000
Since its debut, the 'Bayonetta' franchise has accumulated approximately USD450 million (RM2.1 billion).
By Alia Kamelia — 18 Oct 2022, 10:32 AM
Famous British voice actor, Hellena Taylor, who is known for her voice acting role in Bayonetta, an action-adventure game series, has called for a boycott for the upcoming third installation of the game
Bayonetta 3 is set to launch on 28 October. However, recent revelations by the voice actor on Twitter has stunned avid fans, as she finally broke silence and made a statement on why she is missing from the third installation of the Bayonetta franchise.
The character, Bayonetta, who is a shapeshifting witch with the ability to summon demons, was played by Hellena for the previous two games.
She revealed that she left the project due to a low wage offer
On 15 October, Hellena detailed the events leading up to the disappointing offer in a three-part Twitter thread, which has since garnered over 60,000 retweets and 200,000 likes. "This is an insult to me, the amount of time that I took to work on my talent, and everything I've given to this game and to the fans," she stated.
The voice actor's absence from the franchise did not go unnoticed among the fanbase. It's explained in the video, however, that she has been silent up until now due to a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
"I didn't ask for too much. I was just asking for a decent, dignified living wage. What they did was legal, as it was immoral. I decided to do this to stand up with people all over the world who do not get paid properly for their talents," she stated in a video.
The voice actor then went on to say that her financial issues caused by being underpaid was her reason for her struggles with depression and anxiety
Initially, she was asked to re-audition for the third installation, which is a standard procedure for returning voice actors to ensure that their voice did not undergo significant changes, and had 'passed with flying colours'.
Then, she received the initial 'insulting offer' which she rejected, only to receive a revised offer of USD4,000 (RM18,800), despite the franchise earning over USD450 million (RM2.1 billion) since its debut.
For context, the national average salary for voice actors in the UK is approximately GBP36,900 (RM197,000).
"I am asking the fans to boycott this game and instead spend the money that you would've spent on this game donating it to charity," she continued. "Bayonetta always stands up for those with less power and what is right. In doing this, you stand with her."
