There’s a lot of excitement around Bayonetta 3, but there’s also a good bit of controversy. Trailers featuring multiple Bayonettas have led to some interesting theories, especially since fans weren’t hearing original voice actress Hellena Taylor as Bayonetta. As it turns out, that isn’t some intentional multiverse plot device, but rather a controversial choice by developer Platinum Games to replace Taylor with Jennifer Hale. The studio has now publicly taken Hale’s side.
This issue is not a simple voice swap, but rather why Bayonetta’s voice actress was changed in the first place. There are conflicting reports over pay that make it difficult to parse exactly what happened. Initially, Hellena Taylor asked fans to boycott the game after she claimed to have been offered an “insulting” amount of $4,000 for her work. Such a statement may actually break her NDA, which is why Jennifer Hale’s own post was more opaque. Hale didn’t reveal any numbers, but stands by her reputation and advocates for everyone’s “right to be paid well.” As for Platinum, the studio stated that Taylor tried to negotiate a better deal that fell apart.
The truth may lie somewhere in the middle, but that hasn’t stopped some fans from taking Taylor at face value and slinging insults at Hale. As such, Platinum Games has stepped in again with another statement. Taking to Twitter, the team gave its “sincerest appreciation to everyone who has contributed to the Bayonetta series over the years.” It also declared its “full support to Jennifer Hale as the new Bayonetta,” aligning “with everything in her statement.” Lastly, the studio asked that “people please refrain from any further comments that would disrespect Jennifer or other contributors to the series.” Insulting an individual is never the right course of action, though it’s hard to imagine that Platinum’s request for internet commenters to calm down will be accepted by most.
In any case, Bayonetta 3’s release date is a week away as of the time of this writing. The game arrives on Friday, October 28 as a Nintendo Switch exclusive. Preorders are still open, and anyone looking to put their money down ahead of time can get the standard or Trinity Masquerade Edition.
