Genshin Impact developer HoYoverse has cut ties with the English voice actor of Tighnari, Elliot Gindi, today due to a “breach of contract.”
On Feb. 8, allegations of sexual misconduct arose on social media. Several testimonies were shared in a lengthy document detailing controversial discussions with Gindi. This involved allegations of emotional abuse, sexism, transphobia, and sexual misconduct toward minors.
In addition to not voicing over the next Tighnari voice lines, the existing ones are set to be replaced by another voice actor in the future. “We will gradually replace Tighnari’s existing in-game voice lines, and issue these updates in the corresponding announcements,” the developer said.
It’s still unclear who will be chosen as a replacement for Tighnari’s voice-over.
The actor targeted by the allegations shared a public apology on Feb. 9 saying he was “committing [him]self to accepting responsibility while making the effort to get – and do – better.”
Numerous voice actors working on Genshin have since demanded his resignation, and HoYoverse said it was working on resolving the issue.
“We deeply regret the harm and damage that happened to our fans, gamers, community and anyone affected. Both our internal teams and external partners including our voice acting studio have been working together on an urgent solution. And we will keep you posted on the progress,” said in a statement to Dot Esports on Feb. 9.
The community’s response to HoYoverse’s statement was overly positive. The announcement thread reached the top of Genshin’s subreddit, with fans praising the fast reaction of the developer to address the issue.
