Bayonetta voice actress urges players to boycott next game, citing insulting treatment by developer Platinum

Hellena Taylor, the original voice actress of Bayonetta, released a sequence of videos on Twitter (opens in new tab) explaining why she did not return to the role. Taylor claims that she was offered a flat sum of $4,000 to voice the character in the upcoming Bayonetta 3, and on refusing this offer, was replaced by Jennifer Hale of Mass Effect and Knights of the Old Republic fame. Taylor urged players to boycott the game, compared her situation to that of other underpaid workers, and urged Bayonetta fans to donate money they would have spent on the game to charity.

Taylor begins her videos by pointing out the Bayonetta series’ international success, as well as her extensive training and career as an actress and role in shaping the character. Taylor claims that she did a routine re-audition for the role, and received a lowball offer even below the $4,000 one she would get later. She then personally appealed to series creator Hideki Kamiya via a go-between. The developer allegedly told the actress he “values greatly her contribution to the game.” Taylor was subsequently offered the final $4,000 flat sum for her performance.