Highlights
- Nintendo restricts Zelda voice actors from recording fan-requested lines, citing strict NDAs and respect for the IP.
- Voice actors risk losing future Nintendo opportunities if they go against company wishes, like performing unique lines.
- Although disappointing to fans, Nintendo's protective stance on its IPs means actors must comply to avoid legal action.
The Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom voice cast has revealed that Nintendo is preventing the voice actors from performing fan-requested voice lines. The reveal and explanation behind the restriction was shared during a panel at MCM Comic Con held on Memorial Day Weekend.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild made waves as the first major Zelda entry to feature voice acting. A number of the voices in Breath of the Wild returned for Tears of the Kingdom, reprising their roles. However, fans who were hoping to hear their favorite characters say some custom lines will be disappointed.
Zelda Moving on from Tears of the Kingdom Features is a Double-Edged Sword
The Zelda franchise has another golden opportunity to reinvent itself following Tears of the Kingdom, but whether it should is debatable.
As reported by TheGamer, the voice actors got to talking about the restrictions Nintendo imposes through non-disclosure agreements at MCM Comic Con. Patricia Summersett, the voice of Zelda in the English dub, explained that the cast signed "very strict NDAs" and that it's a matter of respecting the IP and Nintendo's rights. Further, she said "I know it can be disappointing sometimes when people want to record [us]... That's not for us to do." She did note that she would sometimes whisper special lines in-person to fans on request, but it's not something to be shared and broadcast with the world.
Further, the voice of Breath of the Wild's Revali, Sean Chiplock, stated that he didn't think Nintendo would necessarily pursue legal action against them if they went against the company's wishes, but that it would most likely mean losing the opportunity to work with Nintendo again.
Unfortunately, this means that the Zelda cast can't do things that some other video game voice actors get to do. Fans of game voice actors often ask them to perform unique voice lines, sometimes through paid services like Cameo. However, even in the cases where actors comply with requests, they often go out of their way to indicate that they're not acting on behalf of the game developer, and aren't "actually" performing the character, like in the case of an odd Cameo request of Steven Ogg. Although he went along with the request, he repeatedly indicated that he was recording it as himself, not as his character, GTA 5 protagonist Trevor.
Nintendo Has its Way of Doing Things
Although this might seem disappointing and restrictive to some fans, given Nintendo's reputation, it's to be expected. Nintendo is known for being extraordinarily protective of its IPs, restricting the use of its images, music, and likenesses to the point of pursuing legal action against those who violate the rules around its intellectual property. It's the wisest course of its actors to not get on the company's bad side.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel to the beloved open-world adventure, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This installment once again sees Link and Zelda battling to protect Hyrule from falling to Ganondorf. This new adventure takes place in the same land of Hyrule as Breath of the Wild but sees something called the Upheaval, which allows link to travel to Sky Islands, as well as deep into the Depths beneath Hyrule. Players can use special abilities to fuse together weapons, and build items to help them progress through the release.
- Franchise
- The Legend of Zelda
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- Released
- May 12, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
