Think You Recognize Ghost of Yotei’s Hero? Erika Ishii Also Stars in Mortal Kombat 1 and Modern Warfare III

Quick heads-up if you somehow missed the buzz: Ghost of Yotei dropped on October 2 and it caught fire fast. It is one of those games that shows up, plants a flag, and suddenly everyone is talking about it. The hook is simple and sharp — Atsu on a revenge warpath against the Yotei Six — and it works.

The face (well, voice) of Atsu

A big reason Atsu lands is Erika Ishii, who voices the lead. If the name does not immediately ring a bell, the voice probably does. Ishii has been all over major titles for years, and they have that chameleon quality where you realize later, oh, that was them too.

Ishii started acting young, eased into voice work through smaller gigs, and then leveled up quickly. The turning point they point to is The Last of Us — that game pushed them toward voice acting in games, and, full circle moment, they even contributed a role in The Last of Us Part II (not a headline character, but still a nice bit of symmetry).

The throughline in Ishii’s work is making characters feel lived-in — not just cool one-liners, but personality and presence. Atsu fits right into that lane.

Where you have heard Erika Ishii before

• Valkyrie in Apex Legends
• Dr. Wenjie Evans in Deathloop
• Rook in Dragon Age: The Veilguard
• Sektor in Mortal Kombat 1
• Captain Amy Fang in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
• Additional voices across Pacific Drive, Naraka: Bladepoint, and multiple Call of Duty entries
• A role in The Last of Us Part II

Point is, AAA or indie, lead or supporting, Ishii keeps stacking credits and tends to make their characters pop.

So, how is Ghost of Yotei actually landing?

Short version: strong. Players are praising the visuals, the feel of the combat, and the revenge story that keeps Atsu front and center. It is very much a character-driven action game, which helps a performance like Ishii’s stand out instead of getting swallowed by spectacle.

The discourse (because of course there is)

Ishii is also outspoken off-mic. They advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and broader respect for marginalized communities, and they have not exactly been shy about their views on institutions like the police. That has sparked the usual social-media firefights, with some folks trying to drag their politics into the reception of whatever project they work on.

Here is the reality check: the noise is not touching Ghost of Yotei. The game’s reception has been driven by what is on screen and in your hands — not the actor’s Twitter feed. Ishii has kept their stance, the work speaks for itself, and players are vibing with Atsu’s story.

Bottom line

Ghost of Yotei arrives hot, with a revenge narrative that lets Erika Ishii do what they do best. The internet will internet, but the game is getting praise for the right reasons: how it looks, how it plays, and how Atsu’s arc hits.

Curious where you land on this: should a voice actor’s personal identity or activism change how you experience a game? Drop your take in the comments.