Aksys Games began addressing fan concerns over the possibility of no English dubbing for the upcoming Western console release of BlazBlue: Central Fiction. The publisher tweeted out earlier this week that the dub is “unlikely” at this point. The company has clarified its original statement with additional tweets that explained the tough decision, outweighed by wanting to stay as close as possible to the Japanese console release date of October 6th.
@aksysgames Basically boiled down to- game now w/ no dub. Game 6-8 months later w/ dub. We made a tough decision, but stick by it.
— Aksys Games (@aksysgames) August 24, 2016
More than just inconvenience for English-speaking fans, however: the lack of dub is a hit for voice actors who have been representing the series since its beginning in 2008. The mainstay actor and voice of protagonist Ragna the Bloodedge, Patrick Seitz, put together a blog post on his official Facebook page expressing his disappointment in the company’s communication on the matter. An excerpt:
And what a cast we’ve had…! I think our BB English cast is one of the best fighting game ensembles in the genre, frankly… I’m not saying that as a self-aggrandizing actor, or as one who’s bummed over the loss of a paycheck. I’m saying that as someone who, like you, has spent the last eight years with these characters–cheering their victories, mourning their losses, and understanding the world of BlazBlue more (or sometimes less!) with each new revelation.
Seitz and other noteworthy voice actors, like Noel Vermillion’s Cristina Vee, have been kept in the dark the same as fans regarding the possibility of dubbing. Seitz has also performed directing and coordination roles for certain games in the franchise. While Aksys didn’t explicitly say that the game will not get English-voice treatment later, Seitz points out that whether the game sells well or not, either situation doesn’t make a strong case for dubbing.
If the sub-only BBCF sells well in America, it’ll be seen as proof that an English dub isn’t essential–that it’s an expensive frippery, as it were, and that they were right to release a pared-down version… At that point, why commit funds to a dub after the fact when they’ve already got your cash in hand? And if BBCF doesn’t sell well, no one’s going to want to throw good money after bad by dubbing something that under-performed in its initial U.S. release.
This week, Aksys Games also announced details on the BlazBlue: Central Fiction Limited Edition coming this November.