In late July 2024, actors union SAG-AFTRA officially announced a strike against video game companies, after months of threatening action. While the call to strike appeared sudden, it was the result of nearly two years of negotiations for a new SAG-AFTRA-approved contract for actors working in video games.
Bargaining had continued for this period without any real progress, as SAG-AFTRA’s contract requirements were denied in negotiation. Video game companies including Activision Productions, Blindlight, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts Production, Epic Games, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Take 2 Productions, VoiceWorks Productions and WB Games were part of the contract negotiations, and are now facing a pause in work by SAG-AFTRA performers.
Any union actor (voice actor, performance capture actor) who was working on a video game for any of these companies will stop work as part of the announced strike, likely halting development progress, or forcing workarounds in the dev pipeline.
Should a company agree to SAG-AFTRA’s Tiered-Budget Independent Interactive Media Agreement, the Interim Interactive Media Agreement, or the Interim Interactive Localisation Agreement, work may continue – but for companies that have refused these terms, work will pause.
SAG-AFTRA wants more AI protections in its new contract
The major sticking point around negotiations for a new SAG-AFTRA-approved Interactive Media Agreement – which covers acting work in video games and other digital media – is AI. Per the union, video game companies have so far refused to entrench AI protections in worker contracts, opening the door for exploitation of likeness and voice in the game development process.
“We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse A.I. to the detriment of our members. Enough is enough,” Fran Drescher, SAG-AFTRA president said in the strike announcement. “When these companies get serious about offering an agreement our members can live – and work – with, we will be here, ready to negotiate.”
“[SAG-AFTRA members who work in video games] deserve and demand the same fundamental protections as performers in film, television, streaming, and music: fair compensation and the right of informed consent for the A.I. use of their faces, voices, and bodies.”
Read: SAG-AFTRA issues strike authorisation over AI contract terms
SAG-AFTRA is hoping to work towards “fair and reasonable” AI protections for video game actors, with the reassurance that any replication of voice work or facial likeness will be done with consent. Currently, video game contracts do not provide that guarantee, and there is major concern that likeness may be used in perpetuity once it’s provided.
As SAG-AFTRA states, actors who work in the digital space have the same rights as any other actor – and guarantees they won’t be exploited with AI must be provided before work can continue.
What video games are impacted by the strike?
So far, it’s unknown which video games are impacted by the SAG-AFTRA strike, but we do know one that isn’t – GTA 6. While it was previously assumed this game would be impacted (and potentially delayed) by strike action, reporter Ethan Gach recently confirmed actors working on Rockstar’s upcoming blockbuster are allowed to continue.
That seems to be because any game already in development before September 2023 is exempt from strike rules, for now. Per Kotaku, if the strike lasts more than 60 days, work on additional games will be halted – but we’ll have to stay tuned to see whether this eventuates.
Beyond tidbits and hearsay, we can’t say for certain which games have been impacted by the SAG-AFTRA strike, as many of these titles remain unannounced. A SAG-AFTRA database lets you search for projects that have been struck, but you need to know the production code or name of these works, and many are not publicly known.
The reality is we’re unlikely to know much about any newer projects that started work between September 2023 and July 2024 – and subsequently, we won’t know how the strike impacts development. For avid gaming fans, that means there’s not much to be concerned about just yet.
How to support the SAG-AFTRA strike
It’s important to note SAG-AFTRA is not encouraging any audience-based strike against games or gaming companies. “We are not asking you to stop playing video games. In fact the opposite! Please continue doing what you love, and any support and solidarity would be extremely appreciated!” the union said in an FAQ.
For now, the best thing for supporters to do is stay tuned, as SAG-AFTRA continues to negotiate its new contract. Those with a platform are encouraged to vocally support video game performers on social media, but beyond this, it’s now a waiting game for new developments.
