After nearly a year of striking, video game actors in the US have concluded their industrial action regarding the use of artificial intelligence by game studios.
More than 2,500 performers were unable to work on affected games as the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) negotiated with studios.
Following more than 11 months of negotiations, a “tentative” agreement has now been established.
“The persistence and patience shown has led to a deal that establishes crucial AI protections for performers in this new era, alongside other significant advancements,” stated SAG-AFTRA’s National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.
During the strike, actors were prohibited from collaborating with major game developers such as Activision, Blindlight, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Formosa, Insomniac Games, Take 2, and WB Games.
Demonstrators at the picket line outside Warner Bros Studios in August 2024. File pic: AP
Other studios were also affected as actors took collective action in solidarity.
Audrey Cooling, spokesperson for video game producers, expressed to Sky News, “We are excited to have achieved a tentative contract agreement that acknowledges the vital contributions of SAG-AFTRA performers in video games.”
This agreement brings about historic wage increases exceeding 24% for performers, enhanced health and safety protections, and industry-leading AI provisions mandating transparency, consent, and compensation for the use of digital likenesses in games.
In the UK, actors protested in support of their American counterparts, and Equity, the actors’ union in the UK, called for a similar comprehensive agreement between UK studios and performers.
Recently, the British Film Institute (BFI) issued a report detailing the risks posed by AI to the UK screen industry, which includes video games, labeling it as a “direct threat.”
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According to the report, the scripts of over 130,000 films and TV shows, YouTube videos, and databases of pirated books have been utilized to train AI models.
Equity members protest outside the BAFTA Games Awards 2025. Pic: Mark Thomas
Experts warn that AI particularly threatens video game voice actors, especially due to their role in creating sounds for animals and monsters.
“The generic sounds are the simplest for generative AI to replicate,” highlighted George Osborn, author of Video Games Industry Memo, in a previous statement to Sky News.
“Just instructing the model to ‘create 200 monster noises’ is significantly easier than making it sound like it’s having a genuine conversation,” he explained.
Unlike the SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike in 2023, which led to delays for blockbusters like Deadpool 3 and Gladiator 2, major delays for games are unlikely.
Games generally take years in development, and any title in progress before September 2023 was exempt from the strike.
As tensions escalated within the gaming actor community during the industrial action, studios appeared to hire international performers to fill the roles of striking US actors.