Bayonetta Creator Addresses Voice Acting Controversy Three Years Later

Nearly three years have passed since Nintendo and PlatinumGames released Bayonetta 3 on Nintendo Switch, yet fans of the series remain curious about one controversy that initially surrounded the game. In 2022, original Bayonetta actress Hellena Taylor was replaced by Jennifer Hale. The decision to go in a different direction after two games confused fans, and things got heated pretty quickly. Taylor lobbed a number of accusations against PlatinumGames on social media, some of which were later proven inaccurate. In a new video on YouTube, Bayonetta creator Hideki Kamiya replied to a fan question about the disagreement.

While Kamiya avoided directly addressing Taylor’s old claims, he did take the opportunity to talk about the controversy, and how things played out across social media. Taylor’s initial accusation claimed that PlatinumGames offered her just $4,000 to reprise her role as Bayonetta. However, that number was later proven to be inaccurate. Taylor herself later admitted in a post on Twitter (now known as X) that she was offered $10,000. When she personally asked Kamiya for more, he was able to get that number increased to $15,000. Taylor said that she balked at the $15,000 offer, as Bayonetta is a “450 million dollar franchise.” She was then offered $4,000 just to make a cameo in the game, which she also declined.

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When Taylor’s initial claims circulated online, Kamiya received a lot of negativity from fans of the series and gamers in general. In his new video, the creator says he received “just tons of verbal abuse pouring in.” According to Kamiya, these comments weren’t just coming from average social media users, but from “famous people,” as well. The controversy significantly died down once the actual figures were revealed, and were essentially confirmed by Taylor herself. A lot of the people that had hurled abuse at Kamiya quietly deleted their Tweets, which is something the Bayonetta creator still takes issue with.

“You posted it publicly, on social media, right? So if you were wrong, you should publicly admit it. Say, ‘Hey, I messed up’ – own it,” said Kamiya. “At least that’s how I try to be. I may act like this, but I do have my own code. If I’m not wrong? Then no, I absolutely won’t apologize. No chance. But when I am wrong, I’ll own it properly.”

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The whole situation does paint an unfortunate picture of how things tend to play out across social media. A lot of abuse happens online, especially in video game communities. It can be difficult for people to work through, especially when the facts contradict an established narrative. Hopefully some of the people that hurled abuse at Kamiya over the situation have learned from it, and will be a little more patient in the future as full details emerge. Social media has given fans much greater access to the people that make video games, but some people tend to abuse that level of access.

How did you feel about the controversy with Bayonetta 3? Do you agree fans should have been more patient and let the story play out? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!