Supergiant Games, best known for indie trendsetters like Hades and Bastion, have clarified that they are not going to replace actors or voice actors for their early access game, Hades 2. This explanation comes after fans kept asking questions out of worry since some of Hades 2‘s voice actors are members of the SAG-AFTRA union and might join an interim for solidarity. Hades 2‘s devs, however, recently voiced support for the SAG-AFTRA union.
The announcement came from Supergiant Games itself on its official BlueSky account. In a BlueSky post, Supergiant Games reassured fans of Hades 2 that they have not re-cast and will not be replacing any voice actors whether with AI or a different actor, even if they decide to join a SAG-AFTRA strike and go on a pause.
“Actors breathe life and humanity into everything we do, and over time, we’ve gone from working with a small number from our team to dozens of individuals around the world. We offer the strongest AI protections in the industry to our talent, as we think their work is irrecplaceable,” according to Supergiant Games.
More importantly, Supergiant Games seems intent on keeping AI out of its workflow and believes in the value of human creations and that human talent is irreplaceable, especially when it comes to art. Here’s the full statement:
Supergiant Games further explains that they’re not exactly subject to SAG-AFTRA contracts for a “variety of reasons” though that doesn’t stop them from supporting SAG-AFTRA actors. Some people, however, were more than curious about which of the “variety of reasons” Supergiant Games has for not working with the SAG-AFTRA union.
Others who commented on Supergiant Games’ thread were skeptical since they believed that while the studio has good intentions and a solid philosophy, they’re not exactly legally binding.
A Hades 2 Voice Actor Spoke Out Earlier
The main reason why Supergiant Games fans are questioning whether they’ll replace actors is due to an earlier post from one of Hades 2‘s voice actors. Marin Miller, who voices Athena in Hades 2 and its predecessor also took to BlueSky and stated that it’s possible she might get re-cast if an employer refuses to adjust to a potential interim due to SAG-AFTRA.
Marin then followed up the explanation with a comment implying that said employer is Supergiant Games and that the “very popular” game is Hades 2. So, while Supergiant Games has acknowledged SAG-AFTRA’s potential activities, Marin Miller could still be fearing that she’s under the threat of being re-cast should she go on an interim.
At the moment, however, Supergiant Games hasn’t exactly re-cast anyone, as per their explanation in response to Marin Miller’s posts and fan questions. It appears every actor working on Hades 2 is safe, SAG-AFTRA member or not.
