After dropping the original English voice actor for Tighnari over sexual misconduct allegations, Genshin Impact has cast Zachary Gordon to play the beloved forest ranger.
Hoyoverse recently teased that the impending release of update 3.6 would ensure "the character 'Verdant Strider' Tighnari (Dendro)'s VA will be updated," but it didn't confirm his new actor until today. The latest patch notes suggest Tighnari's in-game voice will be updated with Gordon's performance later today, and comments from voice director Chris Faiella confirm that Gordon has been actively recording.
"I am so f-ing stoked to have ya!" Faiella said in a reply to Gordon. "It was so much fun to record and you did an amazing job. So good, my man! Thanks for all your hard work. Welcome to the game!"
- Actors supporting AI protections didn't know they were being replaced in Zenless Zone Zero update 1.6: "I found out the role was recast today alongside all of you"
- Hades 2 devs say "we have not recast any of our characters" in the roguelike amid concerns during the ongoing SAG-AFTRA video game strike
Hoyoverse previously implied that Tighnari's in-game voice might be updated over time, so I've reached out to clarify the scale of the 3.6 rerecordings.
Gordon is perhaps best known for his role in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid films, but he's played or voiced parts in dozens of films, TV series, and even a few video games. He contributed voices to Mafia: Definitive Edition, for example, and voiced Hayner in Kingdom Hearts 3.
"Honored and proud to be a part of the Genshin family," Gordon said in a tweet.
Not unsurprisingly, reactions from Genshin Impact's English community are riddled with Diary of a Wimpy Kid references. This crossover has also led to incredible photoshop jobs like these:
Diary of a forest ranger pic.twitter.com/F658uDyBCCApril 11, 2023
Massive W pic.twitter.com/gmwIA3BkdNApril 11, 2023
Genshin Impact fans can now move onto a new, extremely important question: who's gonna voice that new cat girl?
