SAG-AFTRA Reaches 'Tentative Agreement' With Video Game Companies Over AI Protections for Performers

The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has reached a "tentative agreement" on the interactive media contract, potentially bringing to an end almost a year of industrial action across the video game industry.

The SAG-AFTRA video game strike was instigated back in July 2024 after the union and the major game companies — Activision, Blindlight, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Take 2 Productions, and WB Games — that sit on the board failed to agree on AI provisions. Over 98% of members subsequently voted to strike.

While at first it was difficult to tell exactly how the strike would affect our games, there were visible impacts across the industry; players reported that a number of ongoing games such as Destiny 2 and World of Warcraft appeared to leave some NPCs unvoiced in otherwise voiced scenes, likely due to the strike. Then, late last year, SAG-AFTRA struck League of Legends after Riot allegedly tried to subvert the strike by canceling a game in response, and Activision confirmed Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 characters were recast after players expressed concern about new voices.

Now, however, the union said it has reached a "tentative agreement," subject to review and approval of its national board. It is expected that strike action will be suspended soon, although until the national board approves the draft agreement, SAG-AFTRA members will "remain on strike against these employers."

"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," said SAG-AFTRA National executive director and chief negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.

"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.”

SAG-AFTRA filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Epic Games, after the company implemented an AI-voiced Darth Vader NPC in Fortnite. The complaint alleged that over the last six months, Llama Productions (owned by Epic Games) had failed to bargain in good faith with SAG-AFTRA's video game actors and had made "unilateral changes to terms and conditions of employment, without providing notice to the union or the opportunity to bargain, by utilizing AI-generated voices to replace bargaining unit work" on Fortnite.

And in March, Horizon actor Ashly Burch addressed an AI Aloy video that leaked online, using it to call attention to the demands of striking voice actors. Burch said the AI Aloy video left her feeling “worried about game performance as an art form,” and used it as a jumping off point to discuss the video game voice actors strike.

“Currently what we’re fighting for is, you have to get our consent before you make an AI version of us in any form, you have to compensate us fairly, and you have to tell us how you’re using this AI double,” Burch explained.

“I feel worried not because the technology exists. Not even because game companies want to use it. Of course they do. They always want to use technological advancements. I just imagine a video like this coming out that does have someone’s performance attached to it, that does have someone’s voice or face or movement. And the possibility that if we lose this fight, that person would have no recourse. They wouldn’t have any protections, any way to fight back. And that possibility, it makes me so sad it hurts my heart. It scares me. I love this industry and this art form so much and I want there to be a new generation of actors. I want there to be so many more incredible game performances. I want to be able to continue to do this job. If we don’t win, that future is really compromised."

Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.