Genshin Impact English Voice Actors Say They Are Asked to Pronounce Names 'Incorrectly'

gamerant.com:

HoYoverse is developing a world filled with unique cultures and characters in Genshin Impact. Characters may become fan favorites due to the tremendous efforts of voice actors. Voice direction is an important element to consider for characters in Genshin Impact, and two of the game's English voice actors provide insight into the «incorrect» pronunciation that some players may have noticed.

Zach Aguilar, the English voice actor of Aether, recently streamed with Tighnari's English voice actor, Elliot Gindi, and discussed voice direction for characters in Genshin Impact. Specifically, Zach brought up the topic of pronunciation for Tighnari's name and how Elliot would pronounce the character's name. Genshin Impact's newest character from Sumeru, Tighnari, is seemingly derived from Middle Eastern culture. Although Elliot is of Middle Eastern descent, he's never heard the Arabic pronunciation of Tighnari. Additionally, a faithful pronunciation of Tighnari may be difficult for English-speaking audiences, so voice directors determine an easier pronunciation based on the wishes of the developer.

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Voice direction is a key factor behind the pronunciation of Genshin Impact character names and directors consider the game's audiences when working with voice actors. The U.S. is one of Genshin Impact's biggest markets in the world and pronunciation may be determined by that English-speaking audience. If a character's name is difficult to pronounce, it may also be harder to introduce and advertise. As a result, voice actors are asked to pronounce names that were determined for the English localization.

The topic of pronunciation arose following debates within the