Video game performers call strike against gaming companies

Actors and performers in the union SAG-AFTRA have declared a strike against video game companies. Starting on Friday, members of the union will stop any voice acting, motion-capture work, stunts, and more that appear in video games.

SAG-AFTRA has been negotiating with companies including Activision, Electronic Arts, WB Games, and Disney for over a year and a half. Union members approved a strike authorization in September.

The use of A.I. in video game development has become a central issue in negotiations: “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,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher wrote in a statement today.

SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland wrote that video game performers deserve “fair compensation and the right of informed consent for the A.I. use of their faces, voices, and bodies.”

But the video game producers see their offer as strong. “We have already found common ground on 24 out of 25 proposals, including historic wage increases and additional safety provisions,” Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for video game companies involved in the negotiations, wrote today. “Our offer is directly responsive to SAG-AFTRA’s concerns and extends meaningful AI protections that include requiring consent and fair compensation to all performers working under the [Interactive Media Agreement].”

Between July and November of last year, SAG-AFTRA members were on strike against major Hollywood studios.

Editor’s note: Many NPR employees are members of SAG-AFTRA, but are under a different contract and are not on strike.