Why The Cast Of Helldivers 2 Sounds So Familiar
The combat is arguably the main attraction in "Helldivers 2," but Arrowhead Game Studios went above and beyond for this PC and PS5 exclusive, adding many other amazing touches to the game. The developer has seeded the game with easter eggs for true fans to discover, and it's constructed an understated story that's left plenty of room for wild fan theories to proliferate. It's easy to see many of the places where Arrowhead put in extra effort, but there's one thing you won't be able to see in the game, no matter how hard you look: the vocal talent. Arrowhead could have phoned in the game's voices without anyone complaining much. After all, "Helldivers 2" is more about surviving nearly impossible missions than it is about telling a grand sci-fi story. However, Arrowhead hired some of the most talented voice actors in the entire industry, which really kicks things up a notch in the heat of battle.
If you've ever been blasting your way through giant bugs and suddenly you think you hear a familiar voice, know that you aren't imagining things. The actors behind the Helldivers, as well as other characters in the game, are definitely notable video game voices that you've heard before. The actors in "Helldivers 2" are likely some of your all-time favorites, having voiced superheroes, anime villains, and even straight-up demons. Don't worry if you didn't recognize them under their helmets, though (especially while dodging friendly fire). We'll unmask these lovely people for you right here.
Erica Lindbeck
Erica Lindbeck is one of the voices behind the Helldivers themselves, and we're lucky to have her in the game. Lindbeck is an extremely versatile performer and has worked in just about every genre, in projects ranging from "Call of Duty" to "Catherine." Competitive gamers might recognize her as Morgana and Taliyah from "League of Legends," while Blizzard heads might have heard her voice in "Diablo Immortal," "Hearthstone," and "World of Warcraft."
If you've been pretty plugged-in these past couple of years, you'd probably recognize her voice immediately. Lindbeck has frequently joined the English dubs of Japanese games like "Persona 5" (as Futaba) and "Persona 3 Reload," and she's taken on similar tasks for anime like "Sailor Moon" and "Neon Genesis Evangelion." She played Black Cat in Insomniac's hit "Spider-Man" games, and in "Cyberpunk 2077" she voiced Misty, one of the only good-hearted people in all of Night City. Lindbeck always brings pathos and a certain kind of warmth to even her most villainous characters, and that energy makes a nice contrast to the explosions and over-the-top violence of "Helldivers 2."
Yuri Lowenthal
If Yuri Lowenthal isn't your favorite voice actor, then he's probably near the top of your list. That's because Lowenthal has played some truly iconic characters among many fandoms over the years. For many, Lowenthal is Sasuke from "Naruto." For some, he's Ben Tennyson from Cartoon Network's "Ben 10." Others might know him as Prince Adam/He-Man from Netflix's "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe."
Lowenthal is arguably best known as the voice of Peter Parker in the "Marvel's Spider-Man" games by Insomniac. That series isn't the only place where he's voiced the web-slinger, though. He's also played Spider-Man (and a slew of other Marvel characters) in a ton of different animated series and games over the years. At this point, Lowenthal is one of the voice acting community's go-to superheroes, also voicing the likes of Superman and the Winter Soldier in various projects. That makes it very appropriate for him to also be a voice for the Helldivers, the greatest heroes that Super Earth has ever seen.
Yuri Lowenthal seems to have fully understood the assignment, shouting out one of the game's biggest inspirations on social media. "In case it wasn't clear, my performance was HEAVILY inspired by STARSHIP TROOPERS," the actor quipped.
Julie Nathanson
Julie Nathanson is the third default voice behind the Helldivers, and like the other voice actors in the game, she has an extensive history in the industry that's endeared her to a wide variety of fans. She started doing voicework for video games back in 2004 when she tackled some roles for "Everquest 2." Since then, video games have come to dominate much of her schedule, but she's still contributed to TV series like "Avengers Assemble" and Netflix's "Ultraman."
When it comes to video games, Nathanson seems to be up for just about any kind of role. Shortly after her work on "Everquest 2," Nathanson voiced Lampita Pasionado in the cult classic "Psychonauts," but she's also gone for darker titles, like when she voiced Giltine Grim in "Shadows of the Damned." "League of Legends" players should also recognize Nathanson as the voice of Briar. Just before coming to "Helldivers 2," Nathanson was a part of another spacefaring sci-fi story, voicing both Amelia Earheart and Marika Boro in "Starfield."
Julie Nathanson was clearly enthusiastic about becoming a part of the "Helldivers" universe, sharing the news that she was in the cast just a few days after the game's launch. She revealed that she had a blast recording her dialogue, explaining, "[I] laughed so hard during those recording sessions!"
HELL YES I'm a player voice for Helldivers 2!!!!!!
Huge congrats on the release @helldivers2 @ArrowheadGS! FOR SUPEREARRRRRTH! Laughed so hard during those recording sessions!
PS: Love watching gameplay videos after launch... ;) #Helldivers2 pic.twitter.com/K0H415kaUh
— Julie Nathanson (@Julie_Nathanson) February 12, 2024
Robbie Daymond
The final default Helldiver voice in the game comes from Robbie Daymond, who's been an integral member of more video game and dub casts than we have time to fully discuss here. Daymond's vocal talents have gotten him into some of the biggest gaming franchises around, including "Mass Effect" and "Final Fantasy." In 2023 alone, his voice appeared in "Diablo 4," "Starfield," and surprise hit "Hi-Fi Rush." That's a great year.
Of course, though gamers might recognize Daymond's voice from the various titles he's shown up in over the years, millions of people have heard and seen him as a cast member of long-running role-playing web series "Critical Role." Daymond showed up in "Exandria Unlimited," the spin-off season where Matt Mercer sat on the other side of the table for once, and Aabria Iyengar took over the DM role. That's arguably the best place for you to go experience Daymond's impeccable acting, but if you're too busy trying to liberate the galaxy in "Helldivers 2," then hearing his voice on the battlefield will have to suffice.
Ray Chase
The titular Helldivers aren't the only voiced characters in the game. Ray Chase plays the extraction pilot who you've pinned your hopes on more than once. When Chase shows up, you know that you're just about safe to live another day — though even at the very end of a mission, survival isn't guaranteed in "Helldivers 2." You'd be forgiven for not recognizing Chase's voice through the end-of-battle stress, but he's definitely a voice actor you've heard before.
There's a surprising amount of overlap between Chase's career and those of his fellow "Helldivers." He did voice work for the Netflix re-dub of "Neon Genesis Evangelion" alongside Erica Lindbeck, and he has also voiced characters in Blizzard properties like "World of Warcraft" and "Hearthstone." It's a small world out there, and though Chase has been plugging away for a long time, some of his biggest gaming roles have come in just the past couple of years. Since 2020, Chase has done voice work for mega titles like "Street Fighter 6" (as Guile) and "Genshin Impact" (as Neuvillette). He's a welcome presence in "Helldivers 2," and if you really want to show your gratitude to your extraction pilot, you should check out some of his other heroic animated roles, including the demonic Etrigan in "Justice League Dark" and the stoic Cyclops in "X-Men '97."