Anyone who has even dabbled in Genshin Impact is undoubtedly familiar with Paimon. This tiny floating being is the Traveler’s companion and guide, offering helpful hints and occasionally entertaining commentary. This mascot has been with players from the start of their journey, but now, the character could be changing in a pretty major way. Recently, the English voice actor for Paimon, Corina Boettger, revealed they will likely no longer be lending their voice to the Genshin Impact character. Given Paimon’s central role in the game, this could have a big impact moving forward, and player reactions are mixed.
In a May 30th interview with YouTuber Paperbag Boy, Corina Boettger shared that they turned down future voice work as Paimon, unless Hoyoverse becomes union. Boettger states they made this decision after the voice actor of another character, Kinich, was replaced. This change occurred around 2 months ago with the Version 5.5 update, and the original voice actor states the SAG-AFTRA strike as the reason behind the decision. Boettger also notes that they expect Hoyoverse is more likely to recast Paimon than sign the SAG-AFTRA agreement. So, it sounds like we could hear quite a different voice for Paimon in the near future, unless something changes.
Although Paimon having a new voice in the English dub would be a big change, players have mixed feelings about the news. Many voice actors are on strike right now in the US as SAG-AFTRA demands interim agreements with protections against AI voice use in the industry. The comment about requesting that HoYoverse go Union sounds, to some Genshin Impact fans, like a shift from this demand for AI protections. In the Bluesky thread above, Boettger clarifies how the two are connected in their eyes, shedding more clarity on what led them to ultimately step away from the role of Paimon.
Players Dream Cast Paimon Following Voice Actor Departure
Although some fans will surely be sad to see a critical role recast, many aren’t sad to say goodbye to Boettger. The voice actor has attracted negative attention previously for social media comments regarding the voice actor strike, including previous decisions to continue their work as Paimon amidst the strike. This, along with some strong feelings about the actual voice acting itself, has led many gamers to rejoice at the news. Some gamers are calling the shift to a new voice for Paimon a “huge QoL change,” as many feel the performance was a bit too shrill to be enjoyable.
Whether or not you like the current sounds of Paimon’s commentary, there’s no denying it’s a big part of the game. As a guide and companion to the Traveler, Paimon has something to say about pretty much everything. So, having a new voice actor in the role could radically shift the overall feel of Genshin Impact in future updates. As of now, no new announcements have been made regarding the future of Paimon’s voice. And that has led fans to begin the dream casting.
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Though it would certainly be a different direction, it seems that the iconic voice of Morgan Freeman is the dream cast for many fans. Whether they’re joking or serious, the actor is the chief suggestion as a replacement for Corina Boettger. Others suggest that Megan Shipman, who recently replaced the former voice actor for Honkai Star Rail character Huohuo, would make a great Paimon. This feels like a more likely possibility, given that the actor is already working with HoYoverse in another capacity.
At this point, nothing is confirmed beyond Boettger’s stated stance on the matter. That said, many HoYoverse characters have been recast for similar reasons in recent months, so that is certainly a distinct possibility. But until we hear something official from HoYoverse, the future of Paimon remains unclear.
The post Genshin Impact’s Paimon May Be Changing in a Big Way appeared first on ComicBook.com.
