PlatinumGames claims to have offered Hellena Taylor far more money than she told fans when she called for a boycott of Bayonetta 3, and she has responded to the accusations.

The drama continues between PlatinumGames and voice actress Hellena Taylor over new allegations of payment for her role in Bayonetta 3. PlatinumGames has responded to Taylor’s call for a boycott over the lack of pay, saying they offered her much more than she said.

In a video that has gone viral and prompted many fans to consider boycotting Bayonetta 3 at its release, Taylor said she was offered only $4,000 for the title role. PlatinumGames finally responded, telling Bloomberg that the offer was for between $3,000 and $4,000, but for five sessions, one at a time.

The publisher then said that Taylor had asked for a six-figure contract that included residuals, but PlatinumGames had turned it down.

Almost immediately after the news broke, Taylor hit back at PlatinumGames. In an emailed response, Taylor said that PlatinumGames’ offer to Bloomberg was “an absolute lie” and that the developer was trying to save face ahead of the release of Bayonetta 3. After a back-and-forth battle in the media between the two sides, Taylor said she wanted to leave the Bayonetta franchise behind and focus on her theatre career.

The maximum $4,000 per session offered by PlatinumGames, which the company said it was offering, is actually equivalent to what union actors are looking for in a role with more dialogue. Actors for other AAA game productions, including Bryan Dechart of Detroit: Become Human fame, said he too was offered $4,000 per session for a game of similar weight. For union actors, the minimum for a session is reportedly $900.

The conflict between voice actors and game publishers is nothing new.

A few years ago, the Screen Actors Guild tried negotiating more significant residuals for voice actors but instead decided to accept higher bonuses for sessions. This would be where the $4,000 per session would make more sense. However, for a prominent role in a franchise as successful as Bayonetta, Taylor’s demands, as reported by PlatinumGames, don’t seem excessive.

For the time being, it seems that the conflict between Taylor and PlatinumGames is unresolved. Still, the release of Bayonetta 3 will continue with another voice actress, Jennifer Hale, who has already made a statement about the unpleasant situation. Hale has faced much backlash from fans for taking the job and has asked the boycotting fans to consider all those who worked on the game.

Source: Bloomberg