The award-winning actor, Jennifer English, has withdrawn from Eclipse Glow Games’ action game Tides of Annihilation to “look after [her] mental and physical health”.
English said it had been a “difficult yet personally necessary decision” as the game moves on “into its next phase”.
“I’m really grateful to have been part of Tides of Annihilation since the game’s inception and to have worked with such a lovely team,” English wrote in a story on her Instagram account.
“Recently, I’ve found myself needing to slow down and reassess the commitments I’ve taken on. After careful thought, I’ve realised I need to take time to rest and properly look after my mental and physical health. With that in mind, I’ve made the difficult – yet personally necessary – decision to step away from the project as it moves into its next phase.”
English added that she introduced the development team to “a very talented” if unnamed actor “who I believe is a wonderful fit for Gwen”.
We have some sad news to share, that Jennifer English will be stepping away from her role as the English voice of Gwendolyn, the main protagonist in Tides of Annihilation due to personal health reasons. She will continue to support the project in an advisory role.
Earlier in…
— Tides of Annihilation (@play_toa) July 18, 2026
“Having seen her passion, talent, and care for the craft, I’m excited for players to hear her interpretation of the role and can’t wait for players to experience what she brings to Gwen,” English added. “Although I’ll be stepping away from the role, I’m happy to remain involved with Tides of Annihilation as an advisor, and I look forward to supporting the team and Gwen’s journey in a different capacity. I wish the entire team nothing but success, and I’ll be cheering them on as they continue bringing the game to life. Thank you for your understanding and support.”
In response, Eclipse Glow said that while it was “saddened by her decision, we completely understood and respected Jennifer in prioritising her wellbeing. We are also deeply grateful for the care and responsibility she showed throughout this process”.
Looking ahead, the team has now “been fortunate to find an incredibly talented performer to carry Gwendolyn forward”, hinting “her recent work in video games left a strong impression on both Jennifer and our team”.
“We’re excited for players to experience her interpretation of Gwendolyn,” it added. “She’s currently recording Gwendolyn’s English performance for our upcoming gamescom 2026 hands-on demo. Players will hear her performance for the first time in the demo this August, as well as in select official updates shared across our channels during the same period.”
The statement closed with: “We’d also like to thank Jennifer for everything she brought to the character and to the project. Her performance brought depth, strength, vulnerability, and heart to the role. We have truly enjoyed this journey together, and wish Jennifer all the very best, and most importantly, good health and happiness in whatever comes next.”
Tides of Annihilation was first announced back in February 2025 at the PlayStation State of Play. From Chinese studio Eclipse Glow Games, it fuses modern day London with Arthurian Legend with Bayonetta-esque combat. Players take on the role of Gwendolyn in search of the Holy Grail, able to command spectral forms of the Knights of the Round Table in a game that merges an Elden Ring-esque fantasy aesthetic with the present day British capital.
There’s no release date yet, but Tides of Annihilation is set for release on PC (Xbox, Epic, Steam), PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. It’s one of several upcoming action games coming from China, following in the footsteps of Black Myth: Wukong. It will be playable at next month’s Gamescom.
