Video game performers represented by SAG-AFTRA are heading into a strike after contract talks with major game companies failed to resolve concerns over artificial intelligence. The union announced the walkout on Thursday, with the work stoppage set to begin Friday.
At the center of the dispute is how AI may be used in relation to performers who provide voice, likeness, and motion-capture work for games. Both sides say negotiations have made progress in some areas, but they remain divided over the protections performers should receive as AI changes game development.
Why the strike is happening
SAG-AFTRA represents voice and motion-capture performers in the video game industry. These performers contribute more than spoken dialogue. According to the source article, actors regularly lend their voice, likeness, and even movements to projects.
That makes AI a direct workplace issue for performers. If a game can use or reproduce aspects of a performer’s work, the central questions become consent, compensation, and control. The union says it will not accept a deal that leaves members exposed to abuse of AI.
“We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse AI to the detriment of our members,” Fran Drescher, the president of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), which represents the performers, said in a prepared statement. “Enough is enough. When these companies get serious about offering an agreement our members can live—and work—with, we will be here, ready to negotiate.”
The union’s position is that the agreement must cover performers broadly enough to protect the people whose work makes characters sound, move, and appear human. Sarah Elmaleh, SAG’s negotiating chair for the Interactive Media Agreement (IMA), said the talks have shown the union that employers are not offering adequate AI protections.
“Eighteen months of negotiations have shown us that our employers are not interested in fair, reasonable AI protections, but rather flagrant exploitation,” Sarah Elmaleh, SAG’s negotiating chair for the Interactive Media Agreement (IMA) that covers video game workers, said in a statement. “We refuse this paradigm—we will not leave any of our members behind, nor will we wait for sufficient protection any longer.”
How negotiations reached this point
The conflict has been building for months. Negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the video game companies began in earnest in October 2022. Members voted to authorize a strike in September 2023.
The strike announcement follows a long bargaining process rather than a sudden break. The source article says the two sides found success on other points, but could not find common ground on AI.
The companies involved in the negotiations include Activision, Disney, Electronic Arts, Insomniac Games, Take-Two, and Warner Bros., among others. Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for the video game companies involved, said the companies are disappointed by the union’s decision and remain ready to continue talks.
“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,” Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for the video game companies involved in the negotiations said in a statement to WIRED.
Cooling said the companies and union had already reached agreement on most proposals. She described the offer as including wage increases, safety provisions, and AI terms tied to consent and compensation.
“We have already found common ground on 24 out of 25 proposals, including historic wage increases and additional safety provisions,” Cooling said. “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 strongest in the entertainment industry.”
What AI changes for game performers
Voice acting and motion-capture are described in the source article as crucial parts of game development. These roles are also closely tied to the kinds of data and performance elements that AI systems may affect.
For performers, the issue is not only whether AI tools exist. It is how those tools interact with work that is personal and recognizable: a voice, a face, a body movement, or a performance style. The union’s statements frame AI protections as necessary contract language, not a side issue.
For companies, the statement from Cooling presents the offer as already addressing the union’s concerns. The companies say their proposal includes consent and fair compensation for all performers working under the IMA. SAG-AFTRA, however, says the protection is not yet sufficient.
That gap explains why a strike can happen even when both sides agree that many other parts of the deal are settled. The disagreement is concentrated, but it touches the core of what performers contribute to games.
Comic-Con obligations will still be honored
The timing of the strike overlaps with Comic-Con International in San Diego, where several SAG-AFTRA members are appearing for panels and other commitments. The source article says those performers will still be able to honor their obligations this weekend “given the close proximity” of the strike announcement to the event, which runs through Sunday.
Erika Ishii, a voice actor in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, posted on X: “Solidarity,” and added, “We’ll be fulfilling contracts at SDCC but afterwards we hold the line.”
The situation differs from last year’s Hollywood strikes, which greatly reduced the number of performers able to participate in Comic-Con events. This time, the announcement allows existing Comic-Con commitments to go forward before performers move fully into the work stoppage.
What comes next
The strike puts pressure on both sides to return to the bargaining table with clearer AI language. SAG-AFTRA says it is ready to negotiate when companies offer an agreement members can live and work with. The companies say they are prepared to resume negotiations and believe they are close to a deal.
For now, the public dispute is simple to define: performers want stronger AI protections in the Interactive Media Agreement, while the companies say their offer already provides meaningful protections, including consent and fair compensation. Until that difference is resolved, the video game strike moves from a threat to an active work stoppage.