Games in development prior to September 2023 exempt from SAG-AFTRA strike
SAG-AFTRA has confirmed that Grand Theft Auto 6 is exempt from the video game strike due to a previous agreement.
As reported by Kotaku, any title in development before September 2023 is exempt from the strike, as well as live-service games.
"We're obviously not happy about that," SAG-AFTRA chief contracts officer Ray Rodriguez told Aftermath. "That language was bargained into one of the legacy interactive media agreements before [the] merger [of SAG-AFTRA]. It's language that the merged union basically inherited, that I think is insane. But it's there."
Rodriguez said that the union is preparing to challenge certain titles from being exempt to protect its members.
"We do believe that there are certain titles that we can challenge, and we are preparing ourselves to bring a challenge with respect to the application of this language," he said. "So we are doing our best to wage the strike as effectively [and] as strongly as we can – even in spite of that language being there."
SAG-AFTRA has advised members working for non-struck games or companies to "stand in solidarity with their fellow members by refusing to cross a picket line for them" as employers are "contractually prohibited from discriminating against them for this choice."
It also advised members who are under daily contracts not to sign new contracts with a non-struck game during the strike.
SAG-AFTRA called for a video game strike last week to protect voice and performance actors against generative AI and offer better job security.
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