Ghost of Yotei Atsu actor says the game's wolf-petting scene was actually Sucker Punch's "director of cinematics, that was on all fours, getting his head patted by me"

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If you've played Ghost of Yotei and unlocked all of the optional wolf dens, you'll probably remember the scene where you finally get to pet your wolf companion as one of the emotional touchpoints of the game, signaling an important milestone in your relationship with the wild animal. I'm about to ruin that, or enhance it, depending on your view.

GamesRadar+ caught up Erika Ishii, the actor who plays protagonist Atsu, ahead of the 2026 BAFTA Games Awards, and they gave us a peek behind the curtain at what that pivotal moment was like for the performers involved. It was much less emotional, apparently.

"I will never forget motion capturing the scene where Atsu pets the wolf, and it was Billy Harper, our director of cinematics, that was on all fours, getting his head patted by me," Ishii says. "...Yeah."

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Performing the motion capture for the scene sounds like it was amusing enough, but Ishii also captured on video what sounds like a fascinating moment between Harper and creative director Nate Fox. I, uh, I'm gonna need to see that video. For research.

"I walked in on him petting Nate Fox, our creative director, at lunch, and I have that video, still, because I walked in and they didn't notice that I was watching," Ishii adds. "And so I recorded it, and they were, like, trying to figure it out. Like, 'OK, she'll stand, like, here,' and like, 'Oh, she shouldn't pat it, it'll be more of like a petting… yeah, yeah.' And, you know, Nate getting his head pat. That's probably one of the most memorable moments during recording for me."

It's these wonderful little insights that make me respect motion capture artists even more, as I know for a fact I would not be able to compose myself – much less act in a serious manner – when I'm literally petting a human being pretending to be a wolf. I'm also glad I already experienced that scene in the game, as it's equally unlikely I'd be able to take it as seriously knowing what I know now about what was happening behind the scenes.

Ghost of Yotei devs tried to add Zelda: Breath of the Wild-style rock climbing, but discovered "rock climbing is not a core aspect of being a wandering ronin"

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Jordan GerblickStaff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.

With contributions from

• James DalySenior Producer - GamesRadar+

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