Back in April, we learned that Troy Baker, who voiced Rhys in Tales from the Borderlands, wouldn’t reporise his role in Borderlands 3. There were multiple versions of this salty tale. Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford claimed Baker turned down the role. Baker, on the other hand, said he wanted to return to the series. But, he alleged, it was Gearbox that didn’t want him back. But according to an interview conducted by VG24/7, we have a clearer picture of what happened half a year ago. Baker said he never turned the role down, but that he couldn’t “do a non-union gig.”
According to the interview, Baker was contacted by Gearbox for the Rhys role. The voice actor said he was willing to return, but the company “wouldn’t go union. And I can’t do a non-union gig.” After some back-and-forth discussions, the deal fell apart.
“We always knew going into it, that this was going to be the thing,” Baker said in the interview. “They were going to take these characters, and put them from the Tales from the Borderlands series from Telltale, into Borderlands proper. I’ve been waiting for this call. They were like, ‘Do you want to do this?’ And I said, ‘Yes’. They never, because they would never move from that position. I’m not mad. It’s invariably a completely different character, but it still stings.”
Rhys, with new (terrible) mustache and sans Troy Baker, returned as a slightly different man.
Trouble from the Borderlands
I feel as if I’ve written a book about Pitchford and all surrounding allegations over the year. Back in May, David Eddings, the voice actor for Claptrap, claimed he was assaulted by Pitchford in the lobby of a hotel. Even earlier today, we reported that the composer for Duke Nukem 3D filed a lawsuit against Pitchford, Gearbox, and Valve for using his music without obtaining a license. What’s incredible is that the year isn’t even over yet. I can’t wait to find out what else is shaking over at Gearbox.
Cheers, VG24/7.
