Bayonetta 3 Developer Platinum Games Publicly Defends Jennifer Hale Amid Backlash

Bayonetta 3 developer Platinum Games has pledged its "full support" to voice actor Jennifer Hale, who stepped in to replace the character's original performer Hellena Taylor.

"We at Platinum Games offer our sincerest appreciation to everyone who has contributed to creating the Bayonetta series over the years, as well as the community that has served as its foundation," the company wrote in a tweet. "We give our full support to Jennifer Hale as the new Bayonetta, and align with everything in her statement."

Platinum also asked for fans to avoid disrespecting Hale or "other contributors" to the series ahead of Bayonetta 3's launch on October 28 for the Nintendo Switch. "We ask people to please refrain from any further comments that would disrespect Jennifer or any of the other contributors to the series," the studio wrote.

Taylor has claimed that she was offered just $4,000 to voice Bayonetta in the third game, and went on to urge Bayonetta fans to boycott the game when the threequel goes on sale. "The Bayonetta franchise made an approximated $450 million, and that's not including merchandise," Taylor claimed in a video on Twitter. "As an actor, I trained for a total of seven and a half years. Three years at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, LAMDA, with voice coach Barbara Berkery, and four and a half years with the legendary Larry Moss in Los Angeles. And what did they think this was worth? What did they offer to pay me? The final offer to do the whole game as a buyout, flat rate, was $4,000 USD."

According to another report, Taylor was offered between $3,000 and $4,000 for "at least" five sessions of voice recording, or $15,000 in total. Hale declined to comment on the controversy, but she did mention her support for actor rights and her hope that the issues could be resolved "in an amicable and respectful" way.