Video game actors end 11-month strike with new AI protections

Hollywood video game performers ended their nearly year-long strike Wednesday with new protections against the use of digital replicas of their voices or appearances. If those replicas are used, actors must be paid at rates comparable to in-person work.

The SAG-AFTRA union demanded stronger pay and better working conditions. Among their top concerns was the potential for artificial intelligence to replace human actors without compensation or consent.

AI consent now required

Under a deal announced in a media release, studios such as Activision and Electronic Arts are now required to obtain written consent from performers before creating digital replicas of their work. Actors have the right to suspend their consent for AI-generated material if another strike occurs.

“This deal delivers historic wage increases, industry-leading AI protections and enhanced health and safety measures for performers,” Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for the video game producers, said in the release.

The full list of studios includes Activision Productions, Blindlight, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts Productions, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Llama Productions, Take 2 Productions and WB Games.

Members approve deal with overwhelming support

SAG-AFTRA members approved the contract by a vote of 95.04% to 4.96%, according to the announcement.

The agreement includes a wage increase of more than 15%, with additional 3% raises in November 2025, 2026 and 2027. The contract expires in October 2028.

SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher praised the union’s negotiating team. “This deal achieves important progress around AI protections,” she said, “and progress is the name of the game.”

Union National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland added, “Patience and persistence has resulted in a deal that puts in place the necessary AI guardrails that defend performers’ livelihoods in the AI age.”

How did this strike differ from the Hollywood actors’ strike?

The video game strike, which started in July 2024, did not shut down production like the SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike in 2023. Hollywood actors went on strike for 118 days, from July 14 to November 9, 2023, halting nearly all scripted television and film work.

That strike, which centered on streaming residuals and AI concerns, prevented actors from engaging in promotional work, such as attending premieres and posting on social media.

In contrast, video game performers were allowed to work during their strike, but only with companies that had signed interim agreements addressing concerns related to AI. More than 160 companies signed on, according to The Associated Press.

Still, the year took a toll.

“I just hope people understand that when a strike goes on this long and people are talking about how serious it is for them, that it has a real human impact,” voice actor Robbie Daymond told the BBC.

Both the actors’ strike and the video game actor strike put a spotlight on how emerging AI tech can exploit performers’ voices and likenesses. Their demands echo broader efforts in Congress, such as the bipartisan NO FAKES Act, which aims to create legal guardrails against unauthorized AI-generated replicas.

Looking ahead in the industry

SAG-AFTRA leaders say the work isn’t over.

“Even though there’s a deal that’s been made now, and we’ve locked in a lot of really crucial protections and guardrails, the things that we haven’t been able to achieve yet, we’re going to be continuing to fight for them,” Crabtree-Ireland told The Associated Press. “Every time these contracts expire is our chance to improve upon them.”