Zenless Zone Zero Recasts Two Voice Actors Over AI Strike Dispute

Emeri Chase and Nicholas Thurkettle were replaced without prior notice after withholding work in support of SAG-AFTRA's fight for AI protections.

Emeri Chase and Nicholas Thurkettle, voice actors for Zenless Zone Zero characters Soldier 11 and Lycaon, discovered their roles were recast after the latest game update.
Chase, a SAG-AFTRA member, withheld work on the non-struck game to support the union's strike for stronger AI protections, while Thurkettle, a non-union actor, also took a stand against AI practices.
The actors were not informed of their replacements beforehand, learning about the recasting through patch notes released with the update.
The ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike centers on securing consent and compensation for AI-generated replicas of actors' performances, with current proposals containing loopholes that leave actors vulnerable.
Recording studio Sound Cadence stated that all its contracts include explicit AI protections but did not clarify why the actors were not notified of their replacements.