SAG-AFTRA has announced that, after a year and a half of negotiations, they are officially calling on their members to go on strike against the video game industry. The affected companies include EA, Take-Two/Rockstar, Insomniac, and more.
For the last year, the video game industry has been in a dire state. For one, there are the countless layoffs/closures that have affected Microsoft, Bungie, Embracer Group, Behaviour Interactive, Riot Games, Sega, Sony, EA, Take-Two, and more. Additionally, actors in the industry have had to contend with the growing reality of AI voices replacing their jobs. After months of poor treatment from companies, it was only a matter of time before unions took action.
SAG-AFTRA Confirms Strike from Video Game Voice Actors and Actresses
SAG-AFTRA has officially confirmed that after a long period of negotiations with game companies, members of the union who work in the video game industry will go on strike. The strike is due to companies not agreeing performers such as voice actors, motion capture artists, and more from AI interference.
The affected companies will include Insomniac Games, Epic Games, Rockstar/Take-Two, WB Games, Disney, EA, and Activision. This will likely cause delays to the Call of Duty franchise, Grand Theft Auto 6, Marvel’s Wolverine, and more games from the companies mentioned above. The strike will go into effect tonight, after midnight.
Chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland had this to say about the strike: “The video game industry generates billions of dollars in profit annually. The driving force behind that success is the creative people who design and create those games. Frankly, it’s stunning that these video game studios haven’t learned anything from the lessons of last year — that our members can and will stand up and demand fair and equitable treatment with respect to AI, and the public supports us in that.”
Only time will tell how the SAG-AFTRA strike will affect the gaming industry at large, or how long it’ll be before the companies in question give workers their fair dues. More details will likely surface in the coming weeks and months.
