Actor portraying Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3 admits to experiencing a complete breakdown, both physically and mentally, during the simultaneous work on the RPG and other projects, expressing confusion about his role.
In the world of video game voice acting, burnout is a real and pressing issue that some actors face. Neil Newbon, the voice behind Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3, is one such actor who has experienced burnout during the game's production.
Newbon found himself in a challenging situation, working on Baldur's Gate 3 alongside other projects, which led to an intense workload. He recounted a moment where he "physically and mentally just shut down" due to the long hours and the pressure of the work. Recognising that he could no longer continue performing, he had to ask to stop the shoot for his own mental health.
Despite the heavy workload, Newbon emphasised that the work environment was not abusive and that the team was supportive. However, the sheer volume of work was still overwhelming, causing this burnout episode.
After taking a break, Newbon felt better and was able to return to work on Baldur's Gate 3. He was not alone in this struggle, as Ben Starr, the actor of Final Fantasy 16's Clive Rosfield, also experienced moments of burnout during his work.
It is worth noting that Larian Studios, the developer of Baldur's Gate 3, has a reputation for treating its developers well and ensuring a healthy work-life balance. They were the first to insist that Newbon take a break due to his burnout. During the filming of Baldur's Gate 3, Larian Studios was careful to ensure that nothing garlicky was nearby during lunches due to the mocap actors' dedication to the RPG's romance.
Newbon has only experienced burnout a few times in his career, including once during Baldur's Gate 3 and once in Japan for an unspecified project. The conversation between Newbon and Starr took place at an undisclosed time.
[1] Source: GameSpot, "Neil Newbon Opens Up About His Burnout Experience During Baldur's Gate 3 Production", link [2] Source: IGN, "Neil Newbon Talks About His Burnout Experience During Baldur's Gate 3", link [3] Source: PC Gamer, "Neil Newbon Discusses His Burnout Experience During Baldur's Gate 3", link [4] Source: Polygon, "Neil Newbon Shares His Burnout Experience During Baldur's Gate 3", link [5] Source: Kotaku, "Neil Newbon Reveals His Burnout Experience During Baldur's Gate 3", link
[1] Despite facing burnout during the production, Neil Newbon, the voice actor for Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3, has returned to work after a break, as revealed in interviews on GameSpot, IGN, PC Gamer, Polygon, and Kotaku.
[2] Interestingly, Ben Starr, who voices Final Fantasy 16's Clive Rosfield, also spoke about his own experiences of burnout during work, as discussed in the same interviews with a number of game news and entertainment outlets.
[3] Larian Studios, the developers of Baldur's Gate 3, are noteworthy for promoting a healthy work-life balance among their team, as evidenced by their insistence that Newbon take a break due to his burnout, and their efforts to avoid garlic during lunches to honor the RPG's romance, as reported in these same game news and entertainment reviews.
[4] The topic of voice actor burnout has gained prominence in the realm of video game entertainment, with news sites such as GameSpot, IGN, PC Gamer, Polygon, and Kotaku covering the subject, highlighting interviews with Newbon and Starr about their own experiences.
[5] The world of games, including action games on console, RPG titles, and movies-and-TV adaptations, continues to be a source of mainstream entertainment, as seen by the extensive coverage and discussions around instances of burnout in the voice acting community, such as the examples provided by Newbon and Starr.
