Cast The video game industry is on strike. On Thursday, unions representing voice and motion capture performers announced they would go on strike after negotiations with major video game companies collapsed over concerns over AI protections. The strike is set to begin on Friday.
“We will not agree to a contract that allows companies to misuse AI to harm our members,” Fran Drescher, president of the Screen Actors Guild-TV and Radio Performers Association (SAG-AFTRA), which represents actors, said in a prepared statement. “Enough is enough. We are ready to negotiate when these companies are serious about offering a contract that allows our members to live and work.”
Several SAG-AFTRA members are currently scheduled to appear on panels and other appearances at San Diego Comic-Con International, and with the strike announcement coming “close” to the event, which runs through Sunday, they will likely be able to fulfill their obligations this weekend. Dragon Age: Veilguard Voice actress Erika Ishii posted on X, “I will fulfill my contract at San Diego Comic-Con, but I will hold off after that.” Last year’s Hollywood strike significantly reduced the number of performers who could take part in Comic-Con events.
Tensions over AI have been building between SAG members and major video game companies for months. Negotiations between the two sides began in earnest in October 2022. Members voted to authorize a strike in September 2023. “18 months of negotiations have shown us that our employers are not interested in fair and reasonable AI protections, but rather in blatant exploitation,” SAG’s Sarah Elmaleh, negotiating chair for the Interactive Media Agreement (IMA), which covers video game workers, said in a statement. “We reject this paradigm. We will not leave our members behind, and we will not wait any longer for adequate protections.”
In the video game industry, actors regularly provide voices, likenesses, and even movements to projects. Voice acting and motion capture remain a vital part of game development, even as AI begins to change the way developers make games. Despite their success in other areas, video game companies and SAG have not been able to find common ground when it comes to AI.
“We are disappointed that the union chose to withdraw when we were so close to an agreement. We stand ready to resume negotiations,” Audrey Couling, a spokesperson for the video game companies involved in the talks, which includes Activision, Disney, Electronic Arts, Insomniac Games, Take-Two, and Warner Bros., said in a statement to WIRED.
“We have already reached agreement on 24 of our 25 proposals, including historic wage increases and additional safety measures,” Couling said. “Our proposals directly respond to SAG-AFTRA’s concerns and expand meaningful protections for AI, including requiring consent and fair compensation for all performers working under the IMA. These terms are among the strongest in the entertainment industry.”
