You’ve Heard Jennifer English in More Games Than You Realize

Jennifer English has become something of a household name over the last few years, as her breakout role as Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3 caused her to rise to prominence within the gaming industry. Just two years later, she won Best Performance at The Game Awards 2025 for playing Maelle in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33—a role that earned her recognition in multiple other awards ceremonies as well. However, English’s resume extends beyond Baldur’s Gate 3 and Expedition 33, and she even has a few upcoming roles that will add to what is already there.

Distinguished for her soft, intimate delivery, emotional restraint, enigmatic tone, and naturalistic acting, Jennifer English’s voice is almost immediately recognizable now to fans of Baldur’s Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Of course, it helps that both of these games went on to win the coveted Game of the Year award for their respective years, as that has garnered each one far more attention and therefore allowed the actress’ voice to be heard by a broader audience. But before either of these titles existed, English was already beginning to put her foot in the industry’s massive door, playing some characters that may not be known or remembered by the masses, but would nonetheless eventually be acknowledged as the humble beginnings of one of gaming’s biggest stars.

‘It Is Pure Luck’ Baldur’s Gate 3 Shadowheart Actor Comments on Her Streak of Beloved RPGs

Baldur’s Gate 3 actor Jennifer English comments on her streak of appearances in beloved RPGs over the last few years.

Jennifer English’s Career Extends Far Beyond Baldur’s Gate 3

Shadowheart and Maelle might be the crown jewels of her career, but Jennifer English has been involved in several other high-profile RPGs and indie gems. Before she was sweeping major awards ceremonies, she was busy populating some of gaming’s most beloved worlds, often lending her voice to the kind of complex, melancholic NPCs that she has more recently become known for. From her early collaborations with Larian Studios to a role in one of FromSoftware’s best games, English has a knack for finding the humanity in every character, major or minor, that she inhabits. This versatility is exactly why many players have been hearing her voice for years without even realizing it.

Jennifer English’s Biggest Roles Beyond Baldur’s Gate 3

BIANCA – 1348: Ex Voto (2026)
JOY – Marathon (2026)
MAELLE – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2025)
CARLOTTA – Wuthering Waves (2024)
BLISS – Harmony: The Fall of Reverie (2023)
LATENNA THE ALBINAURIC – Elden Ring (2022)
WILLA – Augmented Empire (2017)
LEYA / VARIOUS (approx. 70 characters) – Divinity: Original Sin 2 (2017; Early Access 2016)

English’s first video game role after coming from theater was in Divinity: Original Sin 2, where her professional relationship with developer Larian Studios began ahead of Baldur’s Gate 3. The biggest part she played here was Leya, a key NPC and member of the Seekers found in the Sanctuary of Amadia in the game’s first act. As a rescued Sourcerer, she can remove the party’s Source Collars after Gareth is saved, allowing the use of Source skills and making her an important character for players to have. Apart from Leya, though, English voiced approximately 70 other different characters in Divinity: Original Sin 2, if that says anything about how distinct and desirable her performances are.

Shortly after Divinity: Original Sin 2, English took on her first major role in the turn-based RPG Augmented Empire as Willa, the game’s main protagonist. Despite being her first leading role, Augmented Empire was and still is an exceedingly niche indie game, with only a little over 20 reviews on Steam alone.

English’s first video game role after coming from theater was in Divinity: Original Sin 2, where her professional relationship with developer Larian Studios began ahead of Baldur’s Gate 3.

However, around 5 years later, the actress landed the role of Latenna the Albinauric in FromSoftware’s Elden Ring, and her voice became the heart and soul of one of the open-world game’s most memorable and emotional side characters. Fans even praised Latenna’s voice at the time of the game’s release, saying things like “Latenna melts my heart every time” and “Her voice actress is so good” in Reddit posts like this one from TheEasternContrarian. And this was before the world knew English as it knows her today, so that speaks to her talent beyond any hype.

In the years that followed Elden Ring‘s explosive launch, English rose to stardom as Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3, but then found herself playing the parts of Bliss in Harmony: The Fall of Reverie and Carlotta in Wuthering Waves. The former is a smaller scale narrative adventure game in which Bliss is one of the six Aspirations of Humanity—immortal, god-like beings who watch over humankind and influence their dreams and aspirations. The latter, on the other hand, has made “waves” since its 2024 launch, as a free-to-play gacha game where English’s role as Carlotta sees her breathing life into a playable 5-star Glacio Resonator.

English’s roles in both Harmony: The Fall of Reverie and Wuthering Waves were then succeeded by the part she played in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as Maelle, her second time playing the lead protagonist in a game, though it wouldn’t be her last. This role became something of a second breakout for the actress after Baldur’s Gate 3, and ultimately the reason her name is so well-known in the industry today. Finally and most recently, English voiced Joy, the AI community outreach liaison and player guide in Bungie’s Marathon, as well as Bianca in the medieval action-adventure game 1348: Ex Voto.

Jennifer English Has Some Big Roles Ahead of Her

English still isn’t done either, especially now that Maelle and Shadowheart have done so much to propel her career forward. The actress already has a couple of big roles coming up, one of which is yet another strong female protagonist.

Jennifer English’s Biggest Upcoming Roles

GWENDOLYN – Tides of Annihilation
EMPRESS ALORA – Soulframe

Tides of Annihilation two characters in boss fight

The standout character among those English is set to play is Tides of Annihilation‘s Gwendolyn, the last surviving inhabitant of an invasion-ravaged modern London who gains the ability to summon spectral Knights of the Round Table and fights to save her sister and seek revenge on the demi-gods of Avalon. The upcoming fantasy action-adventure game is highly anticipated by fans of games like Stellar Blade, as Tides‘ fast, flashy combat looks similar to the hit 2024 title that came before it.

English’s legacy in gaming will continue beyond Tides of Annihilation with Empress Alora in Soulframe, another free-to-play game like Wuthering Waves, only it’s an action RPG with MMO elements rather than a Gacha game. The acclaimed actress may not play the part of protagonist in Soulframe, but as the fey empress of the Sproutfolk, Alora is nonetheless a key character that players are likely to spend plenty of time with in the game, making English a perfect pick for the role.

The “Jennifer English Effect” Ties Her Voice to Game of the Year Awards

The height of Jennifer English’s career has been ongoing for only around four years at this point, and yet she has been involved in three Game of the Year titles, resulting in something one might call the “Jennifer English Effect.” The idea is essentially that if English voices a character in a game, even a minor one, that title is more likely to win the Game of the Year award. It’s not a proven fact (yet), but there is certainly a trend there, regardless.

Every Game of the Year Jennifer English Has Been Involved In

Elden Ring (2022)
Baldur’s Gate 3 (2023)
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2025)

clair obscur expedition 33 hands on preview screenshot

Elden Ring, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 all won the Game of the Year award for 2022, 2023, and 2025, respectively, and they each starred the actress in some capacity. Needless to say, there is reason to believe Tides of Annihilation could be next, if it manages a successful launch. Soulframe might be a bit of a different story as an action RPG with MMO elements, but nothing is impossible, it seems, when English is involved. But if Tides, especially, ends up walking away with the coveted Game of the Year award, it will just be an even further testament to the actress’ talent.

The height of Jennifer English’s career has been ongoing for only around four years at this point, and yet she has been involved in three Game of the Year titles…

If all of this is evidence of anything, it’s that Jennifer English shows up in a lot more games than people might realize. From Elden Ring to Baldur’s Gate 3 to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, her voice has been part of some of the biggest releases in recent memory, whether she’s leading the story or appearing in a role players run into along the way. And even though it seems like her career has already reached its peak, it’s clear that she’s not through yet, and fans might have only seen the beginning of what she is capable of.