The voices of your favorite video game characters are going on strike
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists announced Thursday that video game performers will go on strike on July 26 at 12:01 a.m. More than 2,500 video game performers — a group that includes voice actors, motion capture performers, and others — head to the picket line after nearly two years of negotiations with a major video game companies.
The biggest sticking point in negotiations is the unrestricted use of artificial intelligence, according to a news release. Video game performers want protections over the use of their likenesses and voices.
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“Eighteen months of negotiations have shown us that our employers are not interested in fair, reasonable A.I. protections, but rather flagrant exploitation,” SAG-AFTRA interactive media committee chair and Hi-Fi Rush voice actor Sarah Elmaleh said in a news release. “We refuse this paradigm — we will not leave any of our members behind, nor will we wait for sufficient protection any longer.”
The group of video game companies negotiating with SAG-AFTRA includes Activision, Electronic Arts, Insomniac Games, Take-Two Productions, WB Games, and others. Video game performers will stop work — meaning no more recording for video games — when the strike begins on Friday. Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for the video game company side of the Interactive Media Agreement, said in a statement to Polygon that the companies are disappointed the union is choosing to go on strike “so close to a deal.”
Here’s the full statement:
We are disappointed the union has chosen to walk away when we are so close to a deal, and we remain prepared to resume negotiations. We have already found common ground on 24 out of 25 proposals, including historic wage increases and additional safety provisions. 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 IMA. These terms are among the
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