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The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and major video game companies have reached a tentative agreement, potentially ending a nearly year-long strike. The strike, which began on July 26, 2024, involved voice actors and motion capture artists against American video game companies signed to the union’s Interactive Media Agreements.
Key Points of the Tentative Agreement
- Parties Involved: The agreement includes major industry players such as Activision Productions Inc., Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc., Electronic Arts Productions Inc., Epic Games Inc., Formosa Interactive LLC, Insomniac Games Inc., Take 2 Productions Inc., and WB Games Inc.
- AI Guardrails: The agreement aims to establish necessary AI guardrails to protect performers’ livelihoods in the AI age, alongside other gains.
- Ratification Process: The tentative agreement is subject to review and approval by the SAG-AFTRA National Board and ratification by the membership in the coming weeks.
- Strike Suspension: While a strike suspension agreement is expected to be finalized soon, SAG-AFTRA members will remain on strike until such an agreement is reached.
Background of the Strike
The strike was authorized in September 2023, with 98.32% of members voting in favor, after a year and a half of failed negotiations. The primary concerns leading to the strike were:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): Lack of protection against the use of AI to replicate an actor’s voice or create digital replicas without consent or fair compensation.
- Contract Terms: Disagreements over the terms of a new labor contract, which had expired in November 2022 and was subsequently extended on a monthly basis.
Impact of the Strike
The strike had visible impacts across the video game industry. Some games, like Destiny 2 and World of Warcraft, appeared to have unvoiced NPCs in otherwise voiced scenes. There were also reports of:
- Game Cancellations: Riot allegedly canceled a game in response to the strike.
- Recasting: Activision confirmed that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 characters were recast due to concerns about new voices.
- Side Deals: During the strike, SAG-AFTRA reached side deals with individual game companies that agreed to follow the union’s AI rules in exchange for a strike pardon. By November 18, 2024, the union had made AI pacts with the developers of 130 different video games.
Statements from Key Figures
- Fran Drescher (SAG-AFTRA President): “Our video game performers stood strong against the biggest employers in one of the world’s most lucrative industries. Their incredible courage and persistence, combined with the tireless work of our negotiating committee, has at last secured a deal. The needle has been moved forward and we are much better off than before.”
- Duncan Crabtree-Ireland (SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator): “Everyone at SAG-AFTRA is immensely grateful for the sacrifices made by video game performers and the dedication of the Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee throughout these many months of the video game strike. Patience and persistence has resulted in a deal that puts in place the necessary AI guardrails that defend performers’ livelihoods in the AI age, alongside other important gains.”
AI Concerns Addressed
The agreement includes requirements for consent for any new project utilizing voice model replicas, safe storage of voice model replicas, time limits for replica usage without further payment, and usage transparency.
Unfair Labor Practice Charge
On May 19, 2025, SAG-AFTRA filed an unfair labor practice charge on Llama Productions, a subsidiary of Epic Games, alleging the company replaced actors’ work by using artificial intelligence to generate Darth Vader’s voice in Fortnite without notice.
A Step Forward
The tentative agreement represents a significant step forward in protecting the rights of video game performers and addressing concerns about the use of AI in the industry. The details of the agreement will be released once the National Board review and membership ratification have taken place.