After more than 10 months on strike, SAG-AFTRA has reached tentative deals with major video game companies.
Certain terms and conditions of the new interactive media agreement announced by the Union late Monday night were not available immediately.
Despite the announcement, the union made it clear that its members have not returned to work yet. SAG-AFTRA says it expects to be finalised with its strike suspension agreement with its employer “soon,” but until then the job has continued to halt.
Currently, the National Committee considers the transaction before winning a ratification vote on membership.
“Everyone at SAG-AFTRA is extremely grateful for the sacrifices made by video game performers and the dedication of the Interactive Media Agreement Negotiation Committee over the months of the video game strike,” SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Areland said in a statement. “Patience and tenacity have led to a deal that introduces the necessary AI guardrails to protect the livelihoods of performers in the AI era, along with other important benefits. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
SAG-AFTRA took a strike against signatories of the Interactive Media Agreement in July 2024. By then, it had been operating without a contract since November 2022.
Artificial intelligence was a major fixture in these negotiations. The deal covers voice and performance capture talent in video games, and the union has repeatedly warned how AI will negatively affect these professions.
Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA, said: “Our video game performers have stood strong against the biggest employers of the world's most lucrative industry. Their incredible courage and tenacity, coupled with the tireless work of our negotiating committee, have finally secured a deal. Ongoing and progress is the name of the game.”
Gamer companies involved in this agreement are Activision Productions, Blanklight, Disney Carchere Voices, Electronic Arts Productions, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Llama Productions, Take 2 Productions and WB Games.
