Bayonetta voice actress Helena Taylor will not return in Bayonetta 3; Jennifer Hale will take over the role instead.

Bayonetta voice actress Hellena Taylor will not be returning to Bayonetta 3, according to PlatinumGames.

The release of Bayonetta 3 is just around the corner, so little by little, more and more details about the latest installment of the popular franchise are coming to light. One unfortunate fact about the new game is that the title character’s original voice actress will not be returning for Bayonetta 3.

The Bayonetta franchise began in 2009, and the third installment of the franchise, Bayonetta 3, was announced in 2017 during The Game Awards. Since the first game, the title character Bayonetta has been voiced by Hellena Taylor.

There were already speculations about the voice change of Bayonetta 3, since in the latest trailer another voice actor was already in the role. This has now been officially confirmed by PlatinumGames, which stated in an interview with Game Informer that the replacement will be Jennifer Hale, known from Mass Effect. Director Yusuke Miyata said the switch was due to “overlapping circumstances” and added, “Jennifer’s performance was far beyond what we could have imagined.” Fans can rest assured that the Japanese version of the game will still feature Atsuko Tanaka as Bayonetta.

Switching to a new voice actor can be risky, especially when the original actor has been with a franchise since its inception and has become beloved by fans. With all the hype surrounding Bayonetta 3 as the latest instalment in a popular franchise, it has other expectations to live up to.

Unfortunately, Helena Taylor wasn’t able to return and join the cast of Bayonetta 3, but she could be a strong replacement for Jennifer Hale. Hale’s track record speaks for itself. The transition between voices isn’t jarring, as Hale’s voice picks up where Taylor established the character and how it should sound.

Many new games, especially new instalments of popular franchises, come with minor changes, be it gameplay, characters, or even raising the stakes over the years, as with the Bayonetta franchise. The changes can be difficult to face, but this should not have too much of a negative impact on the enjoyment value of the game.

Bayonetta 3 will be released on October 28, 2022 for Nintendo Switch.

Source: GameRant