At EVO 2019, Tekken 7 action was briefly interrupted by a message from Metal Gear’s Solid Snake, who remarked in a teaser on “some good-ass Tekken.” Fans took it as indication that Snake was coming to Tekken 7, but EVO organizers say it was just “our idea of a little joke.” It doesn’t seem like the voice of Snake is laughing, however.
“EVO, you also failed to consult me, or Konami,” classic Snake voice actor David Hayter says on Twitter. “Please do not use my voice to promote other games. Ever.” It was indeed Hayter’s voice in the EVO clip, but it was through the celebrity ‘shoutout’ service, Cameo, where Hayter offers personalised messages for $75 apiece.
“I am happy to record private Cameos for anyone,” Hayter says. “But it is not okay to use my voice for the promotion of other properties.” EVO’s Mark Julio posted the clip that was eventually used last weekend way back in March, right alongside a Hayter-voiced shoutout for his own Twitch channel.
Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada wasn’t a fan of the stunt, either. In a series of Japanese messages on Twitter (translated on Reddit), Harada says “I especially feel sorry to both Konami and Kojima-san (even though we didn’t do anything wrong).”
For now, just bear this in mind: Snake is dummy thicc and David Hayter is happy to tell you about it, but he is not happy to help promote your next competitive gaming event.