Summary
Guerrilla Games has officially castStar Trekalumni Tim Russ as the new voice of Sylens inLEGO Horizon Adventures. In the originalHorizon Zero Dawn(whichLEGO Horizon Adventuresis a retelling of) andHorizon Forbidden West, the mysterious and calculating Sylens was played by Lance Reddick, who passed away in March 2023 at age 60 from coronary artery disease and atherosclerotic heart disease. His death caused fans of bothHorizonand his performance as Commander Zavala inDestiny 2to pay tribute to him on social media and through in-game events, even as they wondered what the future would hold for his most popular gaming roles.
Sylens is a key character in theHorizonseries, so it seemed to be a given thatGuerrilla Games would eventually have to recastthe role following Lance Reddick’s passing. Last month, Guerrilla Games Senior World Artist Lucas Bolt confirmed that this would be the case, at least for the upcomingLEGO Horizon Adventures. Reddick had already been replaced by Keith David inDestiny 2by the time this announcement was made, but it seems that Guerrilla is choosing a different actor for Sylens going forward.
That actor is Tim Russ, as confirmed byIGNwith a brief clip of Sylens meeting Aloy and her friends for the first time inLEGO Horizon Adventures.Star Trekfans might recognize Russ as Lieutenant Commander Tuvok onStar Trek: Voyager, a role he would reprise ingames likeStar Trek Voyager - Elite ForceandStar Trek Online. Some of Tim Russ’s other video game performances include Black Panther inMarvel Ultimate Alliance 2and various supporting roles in titles likeDragon Age OriginsandStarfield.
LEGO Horizon Adventures Casts Tim Russ as Sylens
Sylens won’t be the firstHorizoncharacter that Tim Russ has voiced, as he had previously played the Desert Clan Chaplain Jetakka in 2022’sHorizon Forbidden West. The recent clip of his performance as Sylens highlights the morelighthearted tone ofLEGO Horizon Adventures, as he is introduced as a DJ who is much friendlier toward Aloy than his originalHorizon Zero Dawnincarnation.
It isn’t yet clear if Tim Russ will go on to voice the more serious version of Sylens in futureHorizongames, but it should be pointed out that the rest ofLEGO Horizon Adventures’voice cast is pulled directly from the previous entries. As such, it will probably be a while before fans can make a proper comparison between Russ’s take on Sylens and that ofthe late Lance Reddick, but players will at least be able to check out his work inLEGO Horizon Adventureslater this week.
LEGO Horizon Adventures
WHERE TO PLAY
In a far future, where giant mechanized beasts roam a landscape reclaimed by nature and humans live in primitive tribes, an ancient evil seeks to destroy the world…Join hunter Aloy as she leads a colourful crew of heroes on a quest to save the meadows, forests, and mountains of Earth from a man called Helis, who leads a gang of sunworshippers that follow an Ancient Evil shrouded in mystery.Dive into a thrilling adventure alone, or with friends with couch co-op or online play, customize your home in true LEGO style, and uncover stunning secrets from Aloy’s mysterious past along the way.
