What is the Honkai Star Rail Moze VA (Chris Niosi) controversy?

Recent developments surrounding HoYoverse’s lineup of free-to-play games have been rather troubling, with the Honkai Star Rail Moze controversy being the latest in a series of unfortunate events. In short, Moze’s English VA, Chris Niosi, was accused of sexual abuse by multiple individuals, and fans are understandably displeased with the developer’s employment of the individual as the voice actor.

This article provides a detailed breakdown of the Honkai Star Rail Moze controversy.

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The Honkai Star Rail Moze VA controversy, explained

Moze is an upcoming character in Honkai Star Rail, expected to launch in the next few patches. He is voiced by Chris Niosi in the English dub. Fans recently discovered that there are numerous allegations against Chris from an ex-girlfriend, and some colleagues, accusing him of inappropriate behavior.

This included allegations of alleged emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and overall abusive behavior.

In what might be the most disturbing part of this case, Niosi has been alleged to have employed the same manipulative behavior on his family members as well. Multiple individuals have come out to express their interactions with the voice actor, which seems to provide even more damning evidence.

These allegations first surfaced way back in 2019, during which Niosi was the voice of protagonist Byleth of the Fire Emblem series. Following the revelations, Nintendo immediately replaced him a few weeks ahead of the launch.

Niosi has since made a formal statement on Tumblr, confirming the allegations. He has remarked that he has been seeking a way to make amends. This involved sending individual apology letters and taking accountability for his actions - such as taking therapy to manage his anger issues.

While praiseworthy, many did point out that Niosi’s apology had several quirks to it - the most egregious being trying to paint himself as a victim, detailing how he had suffered from the fallout.

Regardless of the event, Niosi has continued to voice multiple characters across a plethora of media - including the newest character in Honkai Star Rail, Moze.

HSR players are understandably disappointed with the revelation, with many calling on HoYoverse to remove Niosi from the role entirely. While the developer is yet to issue an official statement regarding the matter, there is likely to be an aftermath to this Honkai Star Rail Moze controversy.