NAVA to spotlight women shaping video games at San Diego Comic-Con

The National Association of Voice Actors will host a Comic-Con panel on July 25 in San Diego featuring leading women from video game voice acting, directing and production. The event will focus on representation in games and the creative roles women play across the industry, followed by an autograph session.

Why it matters: - The panel puts representation in video games front and center at one of the industry’s biggest fan events. - The discussion comes as women in games continue to face backlash when they take visible creative or lead-character roles. - The event also spotlights the business side of inclusion, not just on-screen representation, by featuring women who shape game stories, performances and production.

What happened: - The National Association of Voice Actors will present "Boss Level: Women Shaping Video Games" on Saturday, July 25, 2026, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at the Omni San Diego Hotel, Omni Grand Ballroom DE, 4th Floor. - The panel will feature Krizia Bajos, Cissy Jones, Rachel Strum, Linsay Rousseau, Jennifer Sun Bell and Courtney Walton. - Carin Gilfry, NAVA’s vice president, will moderate. - An autograph session follows the panel on Saturday, July 25, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. at AA06. - Attendees can get signatures from Cissy Jones, Krizia Bajos, Linsay Rousseau, Jennifer Sun Bell and Courtney Walton.

The details: - Krizia Bajos is a voice actor and director known for work on Marvel's Wolverine and DC: Dark Legion. - Cissy Jones is a voice actor known for The Owl House and Firewatch. - Rachel Strum is an executive producer at Brightskull Entertainment. - Linsay Rousseau is a voice actor known for God of War: Ragnarök and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. - Jennifer Sun Bell is a voice actor known for Genshin Impact and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. - Courtney Walton is a director at Gearbox Studios. - Panelists will discuss how women are portrayed in games. - Panelists will also discuss why representation on the creative side of development matters. - The conversation will cover how female actors, directors and producers are making the gaming industry a better place to work and thrive. - Carin Gilfry said the reaction to a woman leading a major game shows how far the industry still has to go on representation. - Linsay Rousseau said objections to women in war games ignore real military service by women and treat women in games as a diversity issue rather than a fact.

Between the lines: - NAVA is using Comic-Con to frame representation as a workforce and culture issue, not only a casting issue. - The panel’s timing, alongside the reaction to a woman leading a major franchise, suggests the organization sees the debate as ongoing rather than settled. - The lineup mixes performers and behind-the-scenes leaders, which reinforces the message that women shape games at multiple stages of development.

What's next: - NAVA’s panel will take place during San Diego Comic-Con on July 25. - The autograph session will give attendees a chance to meet several of the panelists immediately after the discussion. - NAVA, a nonprofit trade association, says it will continue advocating for the advancement of the voice acting industry through action, education, inclusion and benefits.

The bottom line: - NAVA is using Comic-Con to argue that women’s representation in video games is still a live issue — and that women are already central to the industry’s creative future.