Ghost of Yotei star calls on games industry to treat workers fairly

"I got into video games because I love video games, and because I wanted to tell the stories that I wanted to play. I feel like I'm preaching to the choir here, but now that video games are the most lucrative branch in entertainment, I feel that the people making them deserve recognition, fair pay, and fair treatment."

"If you're watching this, if you're like me, please demand that the workers are treated fairly. Stories are more important now than ever. So please demand that the people who make them are treated well."

Voice actor Erika Ishii accepted a DICE Award for her performance in Ghost of Yotei and used the platform to advocate for fair treatment of video game workers. The gaming industry has become the world's largest media sector, generating $134.9 billion in 2018 and surpassing film and sports combined by 2020. Despite this massive profitability, the industry has laid off approximately 45,000 workers between 2022 and 2025, with 9,175 departures in 2025 alone. Ishii emphasized that as games become increasingly important culturally and commercially, developers deserve recognition, equitable compensation, and respectful treatment from major publishers.

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