Emberville Adds Ben Starr and Jennifer English to Voice Cast

With more big-budget RPGs leaning into character-driven storytelling, Emberville is making its case early—adding Ben Starr and Jennifer English to a growing voice cast just months before its Steam Early Access debut.

Stardew Valley-inspired farming meets a bigger cast

Emberville, the action RPG from Irish studio Cygnus Cross, is building momentum ahead of launch by expanding its voice talent lineup. The project is described as drawing inspiration from both Stardew Valley and Diablo, blending a “farm-and-fight” style loop with a larger fight against hostile forces.

At present, the Emberville voice cast now includes Ben Starr, Jennifer English, Matthew Mercer, and 15 additional performers, bringing the total to 18 new additions announced by the studio in a playful cast-reveal video. Cygnus Cross confirmed the expansion only a few months before the game’s early access window, signaling that the studio is locking in talent well ahead of its first playable release.

While the cast list has grown, the studio has not publicly detailed which specific characters the newly announced performers will voice. That means fans will have to wait for further reveals tied to individual roles or later marketing milestones.

Who’s joining: Starr, English, Mercer, and more

Alongside Ben Starr, Jennifer English, and Matthew Mercer, the studio’s latest announcements include Nick Apostolides, Elias Toufexis, Briana White, Anjali Bhimani, Harry McEntire, David Menkin, Rich Keeble, Kirsty Rider, LilyPichu, Dillon Francis, Alex Ponton, Cahla “Cahlaflour” Thorman, Michael Bryan, and Lucy Elliott.

Cygnus Cross previously highlighted other notable additions to the Emberville lineup, including Doug Cockle (known for voicing Geralt of Rivia) and Amelia Tyler (the Baldur’s Gate 3 narrator). The roster also features Abubakar Salim, credited from Assassin’s Creed Origins, as well as Alex Jordan, who is associated with roles such as Mr. Hands in Cyberpunk 2077 and Rook in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

One additional industry note sits under the broader cast reveal: Jennifer English stepped down from Tides of Annihilation for health reasons. Given the timing of Emberville’s voice cast expansion, it suggests her Emberville work may already be completed or well underway by the time she withdrew from the other project.

What Emberville is building toward on Steam

Emberville is set to launch initially on PC via Steam Early Access on October 27, 2026. Console versions are planned for later, with the expectation that they’ll arrive by the time the game reaches version 1.0.

Cygnus Cross also expects Emberville to remain in early access for at least one year. If that schedule holds, the full release could land in late 2027.

The studio has positioned Emberville as a debut title from Cygnus Cross, asking players to rebuild the town of Emverville and free themselves from malevolent forces—an approach that fits the game’s farm-and-fight identity while leaning on voice acting to carry the character moments during both exploration and combat.

Key points

• Emberville’s voice cast has expanded to include Ben Starr, Jennifer English, Matthew Mercer, and 15 other performers.
• Cygnus Cross confirmed the update only months ahead of the game’s Steam Early Access release.
• A reveal video announced 18 new performers, but character roles were not disclosed.
• The game launches on Steam Early Access PC on October 27, 2026, with consoles planned for version 1.0.

Confirmed launch timing and cast details

Expert View

Emberville’s cast strategy looks designed for retention as much as marketing. By stacking recognizable voice talent so close to early access—and keeping the character-role reveal for later—Cygnus Cross is likely aiming to sustain community interest through ongoing updates, role spotlights, and early player feedback. For the broader market, it also underscores how mid-budget RPGs are competing with larger franchises by treating voice acting as a core feature rather than a finishing touch.