Becoming unstoppable: Bayonetta 3 hits major sales milestone despite pre-launch controversy

Bayonetta 3 has still managed to achieve another huge sales milestone, shipping over one million units, despite a series of pre-launch controversies that clouded its arrival.

As seen on the latest financial report by Nintendo, Bayonetta 3 listed a net sales figure of 1.04 million units being sold since its release in October. This figure accumulates all the sales made by the game ending on Dec. 31, 2022. So, it is safe to say Bayonetta 3 could still be seeing even more after the mentioned duration of the report.

This milestone hit by Bayonetta 3 comes after a controversy that surrounded the game even before its launch, mainly focused on payment for the former voice actor of the franchise’s titular character, Bayonetta.

Hellena Taylor, who voiced Bayonetta from Bayonetta 1 and Bayonetta 2, vented on Twitter in October about her frustration regarding the alleged $4,000 pay Platinum Games offered to her for supposedly reprising her role in Bayonetta 3. In the video, she called it an initial “insulting offer,” which she eventually declined.

But some reports stated the $4,000 fee was a flat rate and was the supposed cost for each session she would make. Either way, it did not manifest since Taylor turned down the offer. But it sparked a debate from the gaming community, especially with the other voice actors, regarding the pay that is made for their talents.

Emma Samuel, a senior agent and business Manager at voiceover agency Voice Squad, spoke to GamesHub about the Bayonetta 3 issue and called it a “complex situation.”

“While I don’t feel able to comment on the particulars of that story, I do personally agree that there is an overall lack of transparency about pay within the industry,” she said. “The games industry is a multi-billion dollar one, but because game voice-over jobs are highly desirable work for artists, they can all too often get away with low pay. It’s up to the voice industry to set and enforce the standards if our artists are to be paid fairly.”

Platinum Games then released a statement to show its respect for the people who contribute to the success of the Bayonetta through the years. The developer also expressed its support for the new Bayonetta voice actor, Jennifer Hale.

“We give our full support to Jennifer Hale as the new Bayonetta, and align with everything in her statement,” Platinum’s statement read. “We ask people to please refrain from any further comments that would disrespect Jennifer or any of the contributors to the series.”