Arknights Voice Actor Takuya Satō Steps Down From Roles
Voice actor Takuya Satō will no longer voice the characters of Midnight and 12F in the popular mobile game Arknights, developer Hypergryph announced on Wednesday. He is also leaving his role as Zayne in the mobile game Love and Deepspace as his contract expires on June 7.
Circumstances of Departure
Hypergryph cited “various circumstances” as the reason for Satō’s departure from Arknights and apologized to fans. The company stated it will announce a replacement for the existing audio for the characters at a later date. Anime News Network reported on the announcement.
Satō’s departure from Love and Deepspace is due to the expiration of his contract, with the game’s X/Twitter account confirming details regarding the replacement of the character’s audio will be announced in the future.
Speculation and Shrine Visits
Online speculation suggests the decision may be linked to Satō’s visit to the Yasukuni Shrine in 2009. The Yasukuni Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Japanese soldiers who have died in service of the Japanese Emperor, and it includes individuals considered responsible for atrocities committed during World War II. However, there has been no official confirmation of this connection.
Takuya Satō’s Career
Takuya Satō, born May 19, 1984, is a Japanese voice actor and singer affiliated with Ken Production. He began his career in 2000 and gained prominence in 2011 with his role as Toshiki Kai in Cardfight!! Vanguard. He is known for a wide range of roles in anime, including:
- Tasuku Takato in A3! Season Autumn & Winter
- Ryūnosuke Tsunashi in IDOLiSH7
- Caesar Zeppeli in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
- Albert James Moriarty in Moriarty the Patriot
- Sabnock Sabro in Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun
- Toshiki Kai in Cardfight!! Vanguard
Previous Departure in Arknights
This is not the first time Hypergryph has addressed voice actor departures due to “various circumstances.” Showtaro Morikubo stepped down from the role of Elysium in Arknights in March 2025.
About Arknights
Arknights, developed by Studio Montagne and Hypergryph, was initially released in China in May 2019 and launched worldwide by Yostar in January 2020. The game has since inspired animated promotional videos and a nine-minute animated short, “Holy Knight Light,” released in December 2021. The Arknights: Prelude to Dawn anime premiered in October 2022, followed by Arknights: Perish in Frost in October 2023, and Arknights: RISE FROM EMBER in July 2024.