After reaching a tentative agreement with video game companies to end the 11-month video game actor strike, SAG-AFTRA has now officially confirmed that the strike ends today, June 11, at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET.
All SAG-AFTRA members are now cleared to go back to work, including promotional work. The union said it will convene a special meeting on June 12 to "consider the tentative agreement." If approved, the agreement will then be sent for ratification by the union's members. This is also when the full terms of the agreement will be published.
The video game companies released a statement regarding the strike coming to an end, with spokesperson Audrey Cooling saying the companies are "pleased to have reached a tentative contract agreement that reflects the important contributions of SAG-AFTRA-represented performers in video games."
The statement goes on: "This agreement builds on three decades of successful partnership between the interactive entertainment industry and the union. It delivers historic wage increases of over 24% for performers, enhanced health and safety protections, and industry-leading AI provisions requiring transparency, consent and compensation for the use of digital replicas in games. We look forward to continuing to work with performers to create new and engaging entertainment experiences for billions of players throughout the world."
The strike began in July 2024. The union and video game companies agreed to terms on a number of points in negotiations, but a sticking point was the matter of AI. As such, it'll be interesting to see the terms of the agreement and how it all shakes out with regards to protections against AI.
In May, Master Chief voice actor Steve Downes spoke about the importance of getting a deal that offers performers assurances that their voices can't be used by AI duplicates without their permission.
The video game companies were reported to have made what was characterized as "a key concession" on AI, but it remains to be seen what this might be. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.
This wasn't the first SAG-AFTRA video game actor strike. The 2016-2017 video game actor strike also ran for about 11 months, with performers winning benefits including $100+/hour pay rates, bonus, and more.
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All SAG-AFTRA members are now cleared to go back to work, including promotional work. The union said it will convene a special meeting on June 12 to "consider the tentative agreement." If approved, the agreement will then be sent for ratification by the union's members. This is also when the full terms of the agreement will be published.
The video game companies released a statement regarding the strike coming to an end, with spokesperson Audrey Cooling saying the companies are "pleased to have reached a tentative contract agreement that reflects the important contributions of SAG-AFTRA-represented performers in video games."
The statement goes on: "This agreement builds on three decades of successful partnership between the interactive entertainment industry and the union. It delivers historic wage increases of over 24% for performers, enhanced health and safety protections, and industry-leading AI provisions requiring transparency, consent and compensation for the use of digital replicas in games. We look forward to continuing to work with performers to create new and engaging entertainment experiences for billions of players throughout the world."
The strike began in July 2024. The union and video game companies agreed to terms on a number of points in negotiations, but a sticking point was the matter of AI. As such, it'll be interesting to see the terms of the agreement and how it all shakes out with regards to protections against AI.
In May, Master Chief voice actor Steve Downes spoke about the importance of getting a deal that offers performers assurances that their voices can't be used by AI duplicates without their permission.
The video game companies were reported to have made what was characterized as "a key concession" on AI, but it remains to be seen what this might be. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.
This wasn't the first SAG-AFTRA video game actor strike. The 2016-2017 video game actor strike also ran for about 11 months, with performers winning benefits including $100+/hour pay rates, bonus, and more.
Source