Gearbox apparently refused to pay the original voice of Claptrap to reprise his role in Borderlands 3.
According to a tweet from David Eddings, the voice actor of Claptrap in Borderlands 1, 2, The Pre Sequel, and Tales from the Borderlands, Gearbox offered Eddings the job of Claptrap in Borderlands 3, but as soon as he asked to be paid🔯 for his services, Gearbox left him out in the c🍌old.
“For the first time, I insisted on g✨etting paid for my performance and all of a sudden they coul🀅dn't afford me,” wrote Eddings. He previously worked as Gearbox’s VP of Marketing for just over a decade and provided his voice acting pro-bono--a common practice for developers. Eddings left the company in 2017, apparently not under good terms.
This makes the second voice actor to not return for Borderlands 3. Rhys voice actor Troy Bakജer confirmed that he , although the stories as to why aren’t particularly clear. Baker says he was never offered the job, while Gearbox CEO Randy 🅘Pitchford said in a tweet that Baker .
Eddings, at least, remained upbeat after breaking the news, that his departure "creatꦡed at least three job opportunities for other peopl𝔍e" at Gearbox.
As for his comment on the $12 million, that refers to an ongoing legal saga between Gearbox and former legal counsel, Wade Callender. According to documents obtained by , Gearbox laun🎀ched a lawsuit against Callender last November for using a company credit card for personal reasons and failing to pay back a house loan. Callender, meanwhile, immediately countersued, accusing Pitchford of siphoning a $12 million “executive bonus” and using it to pay for personal projects during a wage freeze for Gearbox employees.
This 𒁃was also combined with a bizarre accusation of Pitchford leaving a USB stick with sens📖itive corporate information and pornographic videos of underage women.
At the ti🅷me this story broke, Eddings tweeted o꧃ut “” apparently referring to the lawsuit. Which might be why Pitchford is refusing to pay the man to reprise his role as Claptrap’s iconic voice.