For David Menkin, this is a week of professional validation. “Every time I refresh my screen, wonderful things seem to manifest,” he says. We connect via video call on a Tuesday, just days before the launch of Pragmata—Capcom’s highly anticipated lunar-based third-person shooter. Although he has been inundated with praise from those who secured early access and spotted his name in the credits, the official embargo remains in place. At the time of our conversation, he is still technically forbidden from acknowledging his starring role.
“I’m getting messages from streamers and gamers, and I’m restricted to replying with just a blue heart emoji,” Menkin explains. “I can’t even confirm it to my own siblings. My nephew recently pressed me, asking if I was working on something top-secret, and I just had to offer a glacial shrug.”
Returning to the recording booth recently to lay down additional dialogue for the game’s trailers stirred up a bittersweet sensation. “I realized I had to mourn the project all over again,” he admits.
“Late last year, I found myself sitting on a staircase in London, clutching a bouquet of flowers Capcom had sent as a thank-you. It’s an isolating experience—you’re carrying the weight of a secret you can’t share, and outsiders might dismiss it as ‘just a game,’” Menkin reflects. “But to me, it’s not. That was eighteen months of my life poured into that performance.”
Image: Capcom via PolygonIn Pragmata, Menkin portrays Hugh, an astronaut tasked with surviving a decimated lunar research base. Accompanied by Diana, a mysterious, childlike android, he must unravel the truth behind a lethal robotic uprising before it threatens life on Earth.
Menkin joined the production in 2024, having hazy memories of the initial PlayStation 5 reveal trailer from 2020. Given the game’s protracted development cycle—shifting from a 2022 target to its eventual April 2026 release—his initial detachment is understandable. “When I signed on, they initiated us with a table read, which is tragically rare in our industry,” he says. “Collaborating with fellow actors, including Grace Saif, who plays Diana, gave us the foundational lore and the long, storied history of the project.”
From there, they dove into pivotal narrative moments, like the scene where Hugh names Diana and the exploration of the 3D-printed New York stage.
Image: Capcom via PolygonThe emotional core of Pragmata relies heavily on the bond between Hugh and Diana, yet Menkin and Saif never shared the recording booth. “It would have been a logistical nightmare,” Menkin notes. “But this is the standard operating procedure for our industry.”
Menkin would record his dialogue, providing a framework for Saif to respond to later. At one point, Menkin took a brief hiatus; when he returned, he realized Saif had surged ahead in the script. “I made sure never to catch up to her, so I could consistently hear her brilliant performance in my ear as I worked.”
He draws a parallel to the common film technique of acting opposite a placeholder, like a tennis ball on a stick. “We have safety protocols to ensure the stakes remain grounded and we can effectively visualize the scene,” he says. “The writers, directors, and sound engineers weave all that together to create the ‘magic of games.’ I have no other useful skills—I just act. Thank heavens there are experts behind the curtain making sure I’m secure enough to do my part.”
Image: Capcom via PolygonUnlike his work on established IPs like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 or Final Fantasy XVI, Pragmata is a fresh franchise. When asked if he had any inkling about the game’s roots back in 2024, he offers a cheeky retort: “I am contractually obligated to remain silent on that front.” The novelty of a new IP brings unique pressures. “You’re essentially trying on a new persona and hoping it fits,” Menkin says. “You have to commit entirely to the role, leave it on the table, and trust the process.”
He compares the tension to his stint voicing Luke Skywalker for Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. “It’s a mix of sheer panic and intense thrill. You just hope to capture that lightning in a bottle again.”
Image: Capcom via PolygonA lifelong science fiction devotee, Menkin feels an affinity for the setting. “My career seems to orbit the moon,” he quips. Having played Neil Armstrong in both a short film and the audio drama Buzz, he knows the lunar landscape intimately. “I’ve recited all the famous lines. I know everything there is to know about the damn moon.”
His deep-seated geekery made the coincidence of the Artemis 2 mission lining up with Pragmata’s release window particularly agonizing. He desperately wanted to comment on the mission via social media but felt constrained by his nondisclosure agreements.
“I was paranoid that Capcom would think I was blurring the lines between real lunar exploration and our fictional one,” he laughs. Self-described as a poor liar, he had to go into a “full system shutdown” to avoid accidental leaks. When the review embargo finally crumbled, he allowed himself a small celebration—posting a story set to R.E.M.’s “Man on the Moon.”
“I just needed to get that energy out,” he says. Now that the secret is out, he can finally breathe. “It’s a strange, wild profession,” Menkin muses. “But I love it.”
Source: Polygon
