ASTRA Ditches Dub, Embraces Authenticity

ASTRA: Knights of Veda Bids Farewell to English Dubbing

Following a maintenance update scheduled for January 23, 2025, ASTRA: Knights of Veda will be removing its English voice-over option. This decision, announced by developer FLINT on January 20th, aims to bolster game stability and enhance localization quality.

The January 23rd maintenance will also impact other languages including German, Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, and Italian. However, Korean, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, French, Thai, and Russian voice-overs will remain. Importantly, while English text support continues, the in-game voice option for regions outside Korea will default to Japanese. FLINT assures players this change won't affect in-game chat functionality in previously supported languages.

This move follows a trend among gacha games. Several titles, including War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, Aether Gazer, and Snowbreak: Containment Zone, have also reduced or eliminated English dubbing. Reasons cited often involve prioritizing the language preferred by the largest player base and managing the long-term costs associated with voice acting.

For example, Square Enix's War of the Visions shifted future content to Japanese voice-overs to streamline resources. Similarly, Aether Gazer cited financial constraints as a factor in their decision. Snowbreak: Containment Zone, meanwhile, focused on optimizing the overall player experience.

The decision by these developers highlights a balancing act between providing diverse language options and ensuring the long-term health and development of their games. While some players may be disappointed, the trend suggests a shift toward prioritizing either the dominant player language or reallocating resources to other game features.