Source: HoYoverse
Mounting backlash against Niosi’s casting for upcoming Honkai: Star Rail character Moze has forced the voice actor to step down from the role.
In a statement to his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Chris Niosi confirmed his resignation from his role as the English voice actor for the upcoming 4-star character Moze in Honkai: Star Rail.
Niosi cited the general public's discomfort at his casting as the reason for his resignation. The voice actor said he asked his agent to submit his resignation on Monday (July 22), just five days after his role as Moze’s voice actor was announced on 18 July.
In his statement, Niosi confirms that:
“I cannot in good faith continue in a role that would cause undue pain for so many people, especially those I’ve hurt in the past.”
Honkai: Star Rail confirmed Niosi’s resignation on their social media channels, though his replacement has yet to be announced.
Niosi’s voice lines will most likely remain in the upcoming version 2.4 update until a replacement has been found. The character's voice lines will then be updated in a later version with the new voice actor's lines in place.
Niosi admitted to exhibiting abusive and manipulative behaviour towards friends, colleagues, and loved ones in 2019. Because of this, and for breaking a non-disclosure agreement, Niosi had been removed from Nintendo’s Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and Fire Emblem Heroes, where he was supposed to voice Byleth.