Final Fantasy 14 Fans Worry as G’raha Tia’s Voice Suddenly Changes in Patch 7.4

G’raha Tia’s voice in the latest Final Fantasy 14 update has fans on edge. With patch 7.4, players noticed their beloved cat boy sounded off, and the speculation has gone wild.

Longtime voice actor Jonathan Bailey, now known for huge roles in Bridgerton and more, may still be involved, but something about this performance feels different. Theories are flying: Has Bailey been replaced? Is he just recording on a terrible mic between movie sets? Or is it something else entirely?

From Sexiest Man Alive to Sounding “Gruff”

Bailey has been the voice of G’raha Tia since 2017’s Stormblood expansion. Since then, his star has skyrocketed; he’s been crowned People’s Sexiest Man Alive and landed major roles in Bridgerton, Wicked, and Jurassic World Rebirth.

But with his rising fame comes uncertainty. This week’s 7.4 patch dropped, continuing the main story and even featuring new music by Tom Morello from Rage Against The Machine. Suddenly, players realised G’raha Tia’s dialogue sounded strange: rougher, less polished, maybe even less emotional.

Analysing the Voice: Mic Troubles and Swollen Tongues

Fans aren’t just speculating, they’re comparing audio clips from previous expansions and the new patch. One user posted a double-video breakdown between patch 7.0 and 7.4, arguing it’s still Bailey but that the recording setup is way worse now. “It seems that he HAS NOT been recast, I just think he’s recording his lines from his phone or a subpar mic setup, the EQ is sorta way more treble-y, when his voice is usually bassy with the studio mics they use.”

Another fan remembered Bailey’s own words about recording in rough conditions while performing in the West End: “I had to record this in the day for about a week, doing eight shows a night, and my tongue was inflamed. So, any die-hard fans out there, there are a few hours of playing where I sound a bit lispy, that’s because of that. So I apologise.”

The community is hoping that the odd sound is just the byproduct of Bailey squeezing in lines on the go, or maybe just recovering from a sore throat, rather than the sign of a recast. Still, it’s impossible to ignore the drop in quantity and quality of G’raha’s lines in this update.

Bailey’s team has declined to comment, telling Kotaku he “won’t be commenting or participating in any interviews regarding Final Fantasy 14” right now. Square Enix hasn’t responded to any requests, either.

Intentional Story Shift, or Signs of Change?

Whatever the reason for the new sound, there’s no denying G’raha Tia’s role in the story has shrunk since the Shadowbringers expansion. Is the character being written out because of Bailey’s schedule? Or is this a creative move?

Game director Naoki Yoshida addressed the shift last year, explaining that he wanted to shake up the formula by letting the Scions (the game’s central group of heroes) have less screen time early on. “Truth be told, this is something I intentionally wanted to try out. I do understand there are people who always want the Scions to be at the centre of the story, but at the same time, there are people who are also requesting something new instead. So it was a conscious effort on my part to experiment and see how the balance would play out.”

The change hasn’t gone unnoticed beyond G’raha Tia. Some fans are frustrated that “multiple popular characters don’t receive enough screen time” in the new expansion, Dawntrail. Whether that trend continues is anyone’s guess. All eyes are on next year’s Fan Fest for signs of what’s to come.

For now, the cat boy’s uncertain future and uncharacteristically hoarse voice have the community on high alert. Theories and audio comparisons keep rolling in, but one thing’s clear: G’raha Tia isn’t going unnoticed, even when he’s barely speaking.