ASTRA: Knights of Veda Removes English Dub, Following Trend of Other Gachas

ASTRA: Knights of Veda Bids Farewell to English Dubbing

Following a trend among gacha games, ASTRA: Knights of Veda will be removing its English voiceovers after maintenance on January 23, 2025. This decision, announced by developer FLINT on January 20th, aims to bolster game stability and enhance localization quality.

The upcoming maintenance will also remove support for German, Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, and Italian. However, Korean, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, French, Thai, and Russian will remain. Importantly, while English text will be retained, in-game voice acting will switch to Japanese for players outside of Korea. FLINT assures players this change won't impact in-game chat functionality.

A Growing Trend: Gacha Games and the Shifting Landscape of Voiceovers

ASTRA: Knights of Veda isn't alone in this shift. Several other popular gacha titles have made similar adjustments, including:

• War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius: Square Enix removed English voiceovers for new content starting in May 2024, prioritizing Japanese for future updates.
• Aether Gazer: Yostar Games completely removed English voiceovers in February 2024 due to financial constraints, focusing resources on gameplay and future content.
• Snowbreak: Containment Zone: Amazing Seasun Games removed English voiceovers in December 2023, citing an evaluation of player preferences and optimization of the gaming experience.

The Rationale Behind the Changes

These developer decisions often stem from a combination of factors:

• Language Preference: Prioritizing the language preferred by the majority of players is a logical business decision.
• Resource Allocation: Maintaining English voiceovers for years can be costly. Reallocating resources allows developers to focus on other aspects crucial for the game's long-term success and player satisfaction.

While this change may disappoint some English-speaking players, the developers' focus on stability and long-term game health is understandable within the context of the gacha game market.