Borderlands voice actor David Eddings, who provided the iconic voice to the series most famous character, Claptrap, will not be reprising his role for Borderlands 3.
Eddings took to Twitter earlier this month where he told a fan, “No. For the first time, I insisted on getting paid for my performance and all of a sudden they couldn’t afford me. Now I’m not telling them how to run their business but maybe next time they should put the $12M payment from 2k in the Gearbox bank account instead. Just sayin’…”
No. For the first time, I insisted on getting paid for my performance and all of a sudden they couldn’t afford me. Now I’m not telling them how to run their business but maybe next time they should put the $12M payment from 2K in the Gearbox bank account instead. Just sayin’…
— David Eddings (@davideddings) May 2, 2019
Eddings would follow that up by indicating that him leaving Gearbox “created at least three job opportunities for other people.”
You’re kind but please don’t be too sad. In the end, my exit from GBX created at least three job opportunities for other people so that’s a positive. 😄
Fun fact: When Rikki Simons and I first met we both said, “People think I’m you!”
— David Eddings (@davideddings) May 2, 2019
PC Gamer reports Eddings voiced Claptrap when he was also the Vice President of Licensing and Business Development at Gearbox. Eddings would leave Gearbox in 2017 to become the head of game publishing at Rooster Teeth in March 2017.
Gearbox released a statement to IGN regarding Eddings’ claims.
“Gearbox works to treat and compensate all voice actors at industry standards. We offer the opportunity for salaried employees to voice characters in the game, but is not a mandatory responsibility to their job requirements. In this particular case, now that he was no longer an employee, we offered him an industry standard rate, but were not able to reach an agreement. We are confident and happy with Jim Foronda as the voice of Claptrap, and we are confident our fans will be too.”
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford would also respond to a fan complaint on Twitter about not paying Eddings. Pitchford would write, “Mr. Eddings was paid very handsomely during his employment. After his employment he was made a relatively generous offer to reprise his role. Unfortunately, he turned that opportunity down.”
Mr. Eddings was paid very handsomely during his employment. After his employment he was made a relatively generous offer to reprise the role. Unfortunately, he turned that opportunity down.
— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) May 3, 2019
As for Foronda, he announced that he would be voicing Claptrap at the beginning of this month.
Here’s my official announcement saying what many of you already figured out: I am voicing Claptrap in #Borderlands3. Thanks for your support– I promise you all that I’ll be the best Clappy I can be!
And with that, I present my LEGO render of @GearboxOfficial‘s voiceover booth. pic.twitter.com/no2tUEe813
— Jim Foronda (@JimForonda) May 1, 2019
Foronda is no stranger to voice acting. His credits include Muscular on My Hero Academia, Prum on Dragon Ball Super, Tatsuo on Sakura Quest. He also voiced Mato and King Toma on Fairy Tail, and Denny Brosh on Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, and Denny Brosh on Fullmetal Alchemist. He previously voiced Hank, Jethro, and Harry in the original Borderlands.
What do you make of Eddings’ claims? Do you think Gearbox couldn’t afford him? Do you approve of them replacing him with Jim Foronda?