Hoyoverse is not the at fault here
I've seen a lot of people still believe that Hoyo is at fault for what's happening and spreading misinformation about it.
Let me explain why that isn't the case. Hoyoverse ONLY hires CN VAs under them (like actually working under them), while for overseas VAs, they don't own them. They are just being lent by voicing agencies depending on what Hoyoverse's request is.
Basically, Hoyoverse is just a customer requesting services from VA agencies. Basically, a business-to-business transaction (shout-out to my IT homies that know this).
Like, for example, Hoyo would approach voicing agencies, and they would request the agency for a VA that would fit a specific character, and it's the agency's job to find someone and lend them to Hoyoverse temporarily by contract. That's how it works.If something happened overseas that affected VAs or some drama between VAs and the studio, they can't really do much since they don't really own them.
If anything, both got screwed by the Voice Agency. Hoyoverse literally kept Lycoan's voice vacant in case Nicholas would come back, while Nicholas thought the agency was still in contact with Hoyoverse, hence why he's confused about the tweet that thinking he is still on Hoyoverse while striking.
And to the next question, why is Hoyoverse not signing the SAG-AFTRA contract? Apparently, the contract is not as rosy as it seems. If they signed the SAG-AFTRA contract, it would legitimately put non-union VA at a disadvantage unless they joined the union, and it isn't free. They have to pay like $3,000 to join the union (not to mention, there's annual fees after you joined). Hoyoverse can still keep their NU-VAs as long as they also joined the union. If not, then they would be banned from Hoyoverse, and not only that, Hoyo would have to only take Union VAs from now on, thus limiting their access to VA (and that makes NU-VA banned unless they joined).
So basically:
SAG-AFTRA has banned all union voice actors from acting in Hoyo games (effectively forever) if the Hoyo games remain non-union.
If the Hoyo games become unionized or sign the Independent Interactive Localization Agreement, Hoyo has to remove all EN VAs who are currently non-union, or all these non-union VAs will have to join SAG-AFTRA.
Hoyo games (and recording studios) are not the target of the SAG-AFTRA strike. In a legal sense, they are collateral damage from the strike.
So, it's basically a lose-lose for Hoyoverse either way, as it will severely limit them (signed or not) even if they're not part of the strike. Hoyoverse would probably just take chances on NU-VAs rather than signing a contract and being bound by it.
I still support anti-AI in the VA industry, but goddamn, the contract is so very, very hostile that it literally hurts their fellow VAs.
If you want to know more about the SAG-AFTRA contract, read it here:https://www.reddit.com/r/HonkaiStarRail/s/rGO1mNx72S