A Tense Pay Dispute Overshadows Nintendo’s Upcoming Bayonetta 3
The former star of the Bayonetta series reignited an industry debate over fair compensation.
A pay dispute between the creator of a critically acclaimed video game series and its star voice actor reignited a long-simmering debate over wages in the industry. As is often the case in these sorts of disagreements, the details surrounding negotiations and casting for the upcoming game, Bayonetta 3, are more complicated than what has been portrayed publicly.
The feud spilled out into the open over the weekend, when Hellena Taylor, the star of the first two Bayonetta games, said she would not appear in the next iteration, set to be released for the Nintendo Switch on Oct. 28. She posted a series of videos Saturday on Twitter, accusing Nintendo Co. and the game’s developer, Platinum Games, of offering her a total of $4,000 to reprise her role. She said she rejected the lowball offer and asked fans to refrain from buying the game. “If you’re someone who cares about people, who cares about the world around you, who cares about who gets hurt with these financial decisions, then I urge you to boycott this game,” Taylor said in one of the videos.