Tides of Annihilation's New Gwendolyn Will Bring Her Own Voice to the Role

Tides of Annihilation is handling one of the more delicate changes a game production can face: replacing the lead performer after that actor had already spent substantial time helping define the central character. But Eclipse Glow Games does not appear to be treating Angela Sant'Albano's arrival as an exercise in imitation.

Speaking to GamesRadar+ at Gamescom 2026 through an interpreter, director and studio co-CEO Ary Chen explained that Sant'Albano is not expected to copy Jennifer English's approach to protagonist Gwendolyn. English, known prominently for playing Shadowheart in Baldur's Gate 3, was originally announced for the action game in early 2025. In July, however, it was revealed that she had to step away from the lead role for health reasons.

Sant'Albano has since taken over as Gwendolyn's voice, while English remains connected to the project in an advisory capacity. For Chen and the team, the important thing is not to erase the work English did before leaving the part, nor to force Sant'Albano into an overly narrow version of a performance that belongs to somebody else.

"We believe both of them have their own unique style, and we respect and we appreciate their different styles," Chen said. "And we think their communication is more about understanding or their interpretation of [the] protagonist."

A lead role shaped by two performers

The situation is unusual, but it also gives Tides of Annihilation an opportunity to preserve creative continuity without pretending that two actors with different instincts will sound or perform identically. English's early attachment to the project means she had time to help mold Gwendolyn before she was required to withdraw. That prior work provides valuable context for Sant'Albano as she takes on the role.

Chen indicated that the continuing communication between the two performers can help the new lead get closer to the character's foundations. Rather than asking Sant'Albano to reproduce a performance line by line or inflection by inflection, the collaboration is intended to clarify who Gwendolyn is, what motivates her, and what the role needs within the larger game.

"We think their communication will also help Angela better understand or have her understanding of the protagonist," Chen added.

That distinction matters. Voice acting is not simply a technical process of delivering dialogue in a prescribed tone. A protagonist's identity comes from interpretation: how an actor approaches fear, confidence, anger, vulnerability, humor, and the changing emotional pressure of a story. Even when the script and character design remain consistent, a new performer naturally brings a different rhythm and set of choices.

Chen's comments suggest Eclipse Glow Games recognizes that reality. The studio's apparent goal is to ensure that Sant'Albano understands the version of Gwendolyn that had been developed during English's time on the project, while giving her enough room to make the character feel authentic in her own performance.

Jennifer English's departure left a difficult gap

English's exit was an unfortunate development for a game that had already associated its heroine with an actor carrying significant experience in major role-playing and action projects. Her work as Shadowheart made her one of the most recognizable voices in Baldur's Gate 3, where performance was a major part of the companion character's popularity. Her credits also include Elden Ring and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

That background is not something a studio can simply replace by selecting a soundalike. English brings a particular approach built across varied roles, and her involvement in Tides of Annihilation began early enough that she was positioned to influence the protagonist's development. The production change therefore had implications beyond the basic need to record dialogue again or assign someone else to future sessions.

Keeping English as an advisor is a practical response to that challenge. It acknowledges the contribution she has already made while allowing her health to take priority. It also means Sant'Albano has access to someone with direct knowledge of the role's prior evolution. For a team trying to keep a character coherent during a transition, that kind of handover can be more useful than attempting to preserve a single exact vocal style.

There is also a human dimension to Chen's emphasis on respect. English did not leave because of a creative dispute or a lack of interest in the project; she had to step back for health reasons. Continuing to credit her perspective and involvement avoids framing the recast as a clean break from the work that came before it.

Angela Sant'Albano gets room to interpret Gwendolyn

Sant'Albano arrives with her own recent genre credentials. She most recently voiced Grace in Resident Evil Requiem, and her casting gives Tides of Annihilation a performer who is already associated with a major upcoming series entry. Still, Chen's statement makes clear that the studio is not presenting her as a substitute meant to replicate English's presence.

That is likely the healthiest creative route for the character and the actor. Recasts can sometimes draw immediate comparisons from audiences, especially when the original performer is well known. But a direction built around copying another actor can make the new performance feel constrained. A character may retain the same history, goals, relationships, and place in the narrative, yet gain nuance from the new person embodying her.

For players, the eventual result may be less about whether Gwendolyn sounds like the heroine they imagined when English was first announced and more about whether she feels convincingly realized within the finished game. Sant'Albano's version will have to carry the emotional weight of the story on its own terms. The advisory relationship with English can protect the character's established core, but Sant'Albano will ultimately be the performer audiences hear in the lead role.

That balance between continuity and ownership is often what determines whether a recast works. The studio needs the character to remain recognizable to the creative team that has been building her, while the actor needs the freedom to find a believable performance rather than operate as an approximation of someone else. Chen's comments indicate Eclipse Glow Games is aiming for precisely that middle ground.

No launch window has been announced

There is still no launch window for Tides of Annihilation. The lack of timing leaves plenty of unanswered questions about how far production has progressed and how the lead-actor change may affect the project's schedule. A central role can involve extensive work beyond dialogue recording, depending on how a game's scenes, performances, and revisions are being developed.

For now, the studio has not attached a release target to the game. That makes it impossible to judge how much time Sant'Albano will have to settle into Gwendolyn's role before the game reaches players, or whether the transition will have any visible effect on its eventual timeline. The most meaningful public update at this stage is the confirmation that the character is being approached as a shared creative handover, not as a demand for an exact vocal replacement.

The development team has also said it is continuously monitoring new developments in AI technology, while stressing that it intends to use the techniques it is best at during development. That broader statement sits alongside the casting news as the studio continues work on a project whose creative identity is still taking shape in public.

What to watch for next

The next major reveal for Tides of Annihilation may give audiences their first substantial sense of Sant'Albano's Gwendolyn. Until then, Chen's remarks offer a clearer picture of the studio's philosophy: English's contribution is valued, Sant'Albano's individual style is valued, and communication between the two is meant to help carry the protagonist forward.

It is a measured answer to a difficult production setback. English's early work remains part of the character's history, and her continued advisory involvement should give the team a bridge between the original conception and the version that will appear in the final game. At the same time, Sant'Albano is being given the opportunity to define Gwendolyn through her own interpretation rather than chase an impossible one-to-one recreation.

For Eclipse Glow Games, that approach may be the best way to turn an unwelcome change into a stable transition. For players, the test will come when Tides of Annihilation is shown again and Gwendolyn can be heard as a fully formed protagonist. With no launch window yet confirmed, the wait for that moment continues.