A year after its original launch, the PlayStation 5 title
The Complete Edition splits its story between the present day and flashbacks to Atsu’s time on the mainland, expanding a character that players have grown attached to over the past twelve months. As part of marking this milestone, Ishii opened up about recording new material, reuniting with fellow cast members, and reflecting on what playing Atsu has meant for her career.
A Dream Realized
Ishii described returning to the booth as something close to surreal, recalling how she first set out to enter voice acting after being inspired by a beloved game. She spoke candidly about the experience of seeing Atsu on her own PlayStation home screen and traveling to Tokyo Game Show, where she was able to appear on stage in Japan wearing a professional cosplay made for her.
“It really does feel like a fever dream sometime. Being on my PlayStation home screen, playing the game, getting to travel to Tokyo Game Show… having a beautiful professional cosplay made for me of Atsu so I could be Atsu on the Sony PlayStation stage in Japan.”
Erika Ishii
The Complete Edition arrived just one day after the game’s first anniversary, timing that Ishii predicted with surprising accuracy. She revealed that she and her castmates had set up a betting pool over when the release would land.
“I didn’t know the launch date until the rest of the world did. We all had a little betting pool as to when we thought this was going to drop. And I said, I guarantee it’ll be on the anniversary. I was one day off.”
Erika Ishii
Comeback and New Story Beats
Ishii returned to record dialogue for the expansion after a gap of at least a couple of months following the main campaign’s recording sessions. She explained that she had been pushing constantly for new content, having grown attached to exploring Atsu’s backstory during the original game.
Among her suggestions was an idea that ultimately made it into the final product: giving Atsu some romantic development in Echoes of Sekigahara. Ishii recounted discussing this with writer Courtney Woods at the launch party, noting that earlier onsen scenes hinted the character had experienced personal attachments before.
“We were scheming. We thought ‘Atsu needs a little romance in her life.’ Like, there’s no way she didn’t have any romance… And so I got my wish.”
Erika Ishii
Ishii credited playing the finished game during production with informing her performance. Unlike many voice actors who only encounter a character after release, she was able to play through as Atsu and move directly into the booth without needing reference audio.
The Most Wanted Mode and Cast Reunions
The new roguelike mode Most Wanted introduced fresh dialogue with a distinct tone. Ishii described it as feeling more mystical than the main campaign, drawing parallels to the mythological quality of the multiplayer experience.
The mode also features returning faces including Jin alongside Daisaku Tsuji, who recorded new lines for the content. The two actors had crossed paths before the game’s launch while both were based in Los Angeles, forming a bond over their shared work on the Ghost series.
“I told him how much his work meant to me and how I’m grateful to be accepting the Ghost torch… We joke that we’re bound together forever, and one of us will follow in the other’s footsteps.”
Erika Ishii
Looking Ahead
Reflecting on four years spent voicing Atsu, Ishii expressed both gratitude and a willingness to continue pursuing new challenges. She acknowledged that while she has other characters in her body of work beyond the Ghost franchise, Atsu will remain uniquely special.
“Atsu is going to be a part of my heart forever… what do you do when you accomplish the big thing when you get to the top of the mountain? You just got to keep going there. There are more mountains to climb.”
Erika Ishii
The full interview with Ishii is available on the latest episode of the PlayStation Podcast, releasing later today.
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