SAG-AFTRA Ends Video Game Strike After Nearly a Year

It's official — the video game voice actor and performer strike has ended.

The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) confirmed it reached a "tentative agreement" on the interactive media contract earlier this week, potentially bringing an end to nearly a year of industrial action across the video game industry. SAG-AFTRA has now formally suspended strike action as of noon PT yesterday (June 11).

The SAG-AFTRA video game strike began in July 2024 after the union and major game companies — Activision, Blindlight, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Take 2 Productions, and WB Games — failed to reach consensus on AI provisions. More than 98% of members voted to strike.

While the union hasn’t yet finalized all details — a special meeting is scheduled for today, June 12, to review the agreement — approval will move to a membership vote if the proposal is endorsed.

The video game performers strike is over. Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images.Not only does this mean video game performers can return to work, but it should also reduce disruptions for players and their favorite games. Players noticed that several ongoing titles, such as Destiny 2 and World of Warcraft, left some NPCs unvoiced in otherwise fully voiced scenes, likely due to the strike. Late last year, SAG-AFTRA targeted League of Legends after Riot allegedly attempted to undermine the strike by canceling a game. Activision confirmed that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 characters were recast following player concerns about new voices, and Epic Games is now facing an unfair labor charge after SAG-AFTRA filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) over the implementation of an AI-voiced Darth Vader NPC in Fortnite.

If you’re wondering whether the industrial action was justified, this story from Horizon actor Ashly Burch may provide insight. In a now-deleted video, Sony Interactive Entertainment director of software engineering, Sharwin Raghoebardajal, engaged in a conversation with an AI-powered Aloy using voice prompts and AI-generated speech and facial animations.

The voice emanating from Aloy’s mouth was unmistakably not Burch’s, but rather a robotic tone typical of text-to-speech systems. AI Aloy’s facial expressions were stiff, and her eyes looked lifeless as she spoke with Raghoebardajal.

“You have to get our consent before creating an AI version of us in any form, you must compensate us fairly, and you must disclose how you’re using this AI double,” Burch said at the time. “I love this industry and this art form so much, and I want there to be a new generation of actors. I want to see even more incredible game performances. I want to keep doing this job. If [the union and striking performers] don’t win, that future is truly at risk.”