Last month we got word that Jennifer English, star of Baldur's Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, would be stepping down from her lead role in the upcoming Tides of Annihilation. Now, fans think they've figured out who her replacement is: Angela Sant'Albano, known for playing Grace Ashcroft in Resident Evil Requiem.
This is mostly thanks to a demo shown at an event in Shanghai, as fans claimed the protagonist had a redesigned appearance and sound, one that resembled Sant'Albano. "So Grace Ashcroft is the new voice of Gwendolyn," one fan says. "Honestly, I'm impressed."
While there's been no official confirmation from either Sant'Albano or Tides of Annihilation studio Eclipse Glow Games, players do have more to go off of than just this demo. In fact, Gwendolyn's mocap actor Jennifer Prime seemingly confirmed it via social media (via GamesRadar), replying "Yep!!! But this time, no more screaming 'Leon!!!!'" to a fan who claimed that "Grace Ashcroft is her new VA".
Prime may have gotten her Resident Evil characters slightly confused, as another fan pointed out that yelling "Leon" is more of an Ashley Graham gig, to which Prime responded, "Yeah, I'm slowly getting through the RE games". I'd like to note, however, that Grace also yells "Leon" quite a few times during Requiem, so she's not exactly wrong. Nitpicking aside, this seems like a pretty reliable report that Sant'Albano as the new protagonist of Tides of Annihilation.
But regardless of who'll take over the mantle of Gwendolyn, Eclipse Glow Games seems confident it'll work out, mostly thanks to English sticking around to help out with the recruitment process: "During this transition, Jennifer remained incredibly supportive and, together with other members of our voice cast, helped us identify and connect with talented performers who could carry Gwendolyn forward while staying true to the character."
The studio also shared that the newfound replacement "left a strong impression on both Jennifer and our team" with her "recent work in videogames". Could this be a nod to Sant'Albano's acclaimed role in Resident Evil Requiem? With all things considered it'd be a good bet.
