These 10 late voice actors forever changed the world of video games with their powerful performances.
The world of video games wouldn’t be the same without the voices that bring our favorite characters to life. From gritty antiheroes to powerful leaders and unforgettable villains, voice actors give heart, depth, and emotion to the stories we love. Sadly, some of these incredible talents are no longer with us, but their performances continue to echo through the games they helped define.
In this article, we honor ten remarkable voice actors who left an unforgettable mark on the gaming industry. Their voices may be gone, but their legacy lives on through the iconic characters and timeless performances that shaped generations of players.
Annie Wersching – Tess (The Last of Us)
Before Ellie and Joel stole the spotlight, a certain smuggler with sharp instincts and a tougher heart helped set the tone for The Last of Us. Annie Wersching infused Tess with quiet strength and heartbreaking realism – the kind of performance that makes you forget you’re in a game at all. Her delivery carried exhaustion, loyalty, and an unspoken tenderness that gave the story emotional weight long before the clickers showed up. Beyond Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic world, she brought her talent to Anthem and Star Trek: Picard, proving her range extended well beyond survival stories. Even when facing cancer, she kept working, a testament to her grit both as a performer and a person. It’s impossible to replay The Last of Us without feeling her presence woven into every desperate moment of that world.
Ray Liotta – Tommy Vercetti (Grand Theft Auto: Vice City)
You could practically smell the ocean breeze and cocaine-dusted ambition in Vice City – and that’s largely thanks to Ray Liotta’s electric performance. His portrayal of Tommy Vercetti turned Rockstar’s neon dreamscape into something mythic: a gangster story that felt like it stepped right out of a ‘90s film reel. Liotta’s voice was sharp, sarcastic, and always ready to snap, embodying the kind of swagger only he could deliver. His turn here opened the door for Hollywood-level performances in games, a trend that would explode in later decades. Though most remember him for Goodfellas, his voice acting showed that charisma translates just as well through a controller as it does on a screen. Two decades later, Tommy still sounds untouchable – the ultimate king of Vice.
Miguel Ferrer – Sesa Refumee (Halo 2)
There’s a certain bite in Miguel Ferrer’s voice that made even alien rebellion sound commanding. As the Heretic Leader in Halo 2, he didn’t just chew through lines – he elevated them, giving weight to a character that could’ve easily been forgotten in a sea of plasma fire. The tension, the conviction, the authority – all pure Ferrer. Outside the Covenant, his unmistakable tone appeared in RoboCop, Twin Peaks, and a long list of other roles that showcased his signature gravitas. In gaming, though, that single appearance in Halo 2 left a mark; players still recall the intensity he brought to every defiant word. Ferrer gave that universe one of its most memorable “minor” voices – which, ironically, never felt minor at all.
Kevin Conroy – Batman (Batman: Arkham series)
For millions of fans, Batman doesn’t sound like Batman without Kevin Conroy behind the mic. His voice, rich with regret and resolve, became the definitive sound of Gotham – not just in the Arkham series, but in the animated universe that shaped a generation. The Arkham games pushed him further: the exhaustion in his tone, the anger in each fight, the weariness of a man who saves a city that refuses to change. Conroy delivered all of that without ever showing his face, proving that voice acting can carry cinematic weight. Even as technology evolved, no filter or voice mod could recreate that raw humanity he gave Bruce Wayne. To many, his passing felt like Gotham itself dimmed its lights for a moment.
Billy Kametz – Ferdinand von Aegir (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Every Fire Emblem fan knows that nobles can be dramatic, but Billy Kametz made Ferdinand von Aegir more than just proud – he made him human. His performance found humor in arrogance, warmth in rivalry, and sincerity in growth. You could hear the joy he took in every line, something that carried over into his other iconic roles like Takuto Maruki in Persona 5 Royal and Naofumi in The Rising of the Shield Hero. Kametz was at the height of his career when tragedy struck, but his legacy endures in every battle cry and heartfelt confession his characters ever made. His passing in 2022 hit the gaming and anime worlds hard, a reminder that even digital heroes can carry pieces of real hearts behind them.
Tony Todd – Venom (Marvel’s Spider-Man 2)
It’s rare when a voice makes you flinch, then wonder if you’re also scared and kind of impressed – that’s the effect Tony Todd had as Venom in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. His monstrous growls and theatrical intensity carried through the symbiote’s more vicious moments, but he also brought a weight of history: Todd wasn’t just another voice; he was a legend, known for Candyman, Final Destination, The Rock, and many more. Insomniac Games gave him a canvas to paint Venom’s darkness, both external and internal. Sadly, many of his recorded lines didn’t make the final cut – but those that did remind us how powerful his presence could be. Even behind layers of symbiote and snarls, there was nuance, a twisted charm, and a dread that only a veteran actor could deliver. Every time Venom speaks in Spider-Man 2, it echoes something older, something rooted in Todd’s long career.
Lance Reddick – Commander Zavala (Destiny series)
When Zavala speaks in Destiny, there was gravitas – the kind of voice that makes Guardians stop and listen, the kind of voice Lance Reddick provided with ease. Across expansions and seasons, his delivery turned Zavala from NPC Vanguard leader into a moral compass and emotional anchor in Bungie’s sci-fi epic. He didn’t only voice Zavala; Reddick also impressed in Horizon Zero Dawn as Sylens, and carried roles in Quantum Break and more, always with the same clarity and strength. After his passing in 2023, the game’s community felt the weight – Bungie promised to keep his recorded lines intact, a tribute to how essential his presence had become. There was a constancy in his performance: every mission, every rally, every moment when Zavala spoke of duty or loss felt lived in. Even without knowing the future, we can replay those lines and remember how Zavala sounded because of Lance.
James McCaffrey – Max Payne (Max Payne series)
The pain, the noir, the monologues in the rain – Max Payne wouldn’t be the same without James McCaffrey’s raspy, world-weary voice. From the original Max Payne through its sequels, McCaffrey carried Max’s guilt and vengeance with depth; every bullet and slow-motion dive felt more cinematic because he sounded like a man who had nothing left to lose. His career outside the games included TV roles (e.g. Rescue Me) and stage work, but for many he’ll always be Max Payne: tortured, relentless, broken. It’s telling that even in the darkest parts of the series, where plot twists and double crosses pile up, his voice gives you some human foothold – something to believe is still in there under the pain. When replaying scenes where Max narrates via internal monologue – the thoughts that bleed through the action – McCaffrey’s voice reminds us why the series still holds up. And though multiple myeloma took him away, the legacy of those nights in snowy alleys and neon-lit gunfights endures in every replay.
Atsuko Tanaka – Bayonetta (Bayonetta series)
There’s a confidence mixed with elegance whenever Bayonetta lets her hair (or her guns, or her wit) do the talking, and Atsuko Tanaka lent her voice a texture that made the character both powerful and mesmerizing. Her long career as a seiyuu (voice actress in Japan) included many roles: she voiced Poison in Street Fighter, Layla Hassan in Assassin’s Creed, Jerri in Persona 5 Tactica, Impa in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and more. None of these detours diluted her Bayonetta – instead, they enriched her palette. When Tanaka voiced Bayonetta in Bayonetta 2, Bayonetta 3, and other related titles, there was swagger and self-awareness; a character who knows she’s extraordinary, and Bayonetta knows you know. Her passing in August 2024 left many Japanese and international fans feeling the loss deeply – a voice whose range crossed genres, from fighting games to RPGs, from supporting roles to queens of spectacle. Even in roles where she wasn’t leading, there was a clarity and richness that made every line count. The gaming world will replay her Bayonetta lines not just for fun, but as a reminder of what voice acting can do at its highest pitch.
Matthew Perry – Benny (Fallout: New Vegas)
Hard to forget Benny: slick-talking, morally ambiguous, braking just short of full-villain in Fallout: New Vegas – Matthew Perry’s voice gave him charm, menace, and a whiplash-kind of likability. It was Perry’s only video game role, yet he owned it: Benny is memorable not just for plot, but for delivery – every line dripping with calculated cool, betrayal, regret. Outside of New Vegas, of course, his work in Friends and other TV/film roles made him a familiar voice, but in the Mojave wasteland, his performance stands alone – someone you love to hate. Fans still pause when Benny’s music or theme plays, or when they load Novac and expect to hear his voice in conversations or confrontations. His character is one of those rare antagonists who stick with you long after the plot resolves, partly because maybe you see shades of what Benny could’ve been. With his passing, there was a palpable silence in the gaming community – and while that one role can’t encompass all he did, it does make it even more special.