A day after reaching a tentative agreement with major game companies over "critical AI protections" for voice actors, the SAG-AFTRA union has suspended the strike that's been ongoing since July 2024 and given its members the green light to return to work.
That the strike is "suspended" and not ended is meaningful, as the new agreement still has to be ratified by union membership. But the finish line is close enough that SAG-AFTRA members are now back on the job.
"All SAG-AFTRA members are instructed to return to work on productions under the IMA, including work promoting or publicizing projects produced under the IMA," the union said in today's announcement.
"The SAG-AFTRA National Board will meet in special session tomorrow, June 12, 2025, to consider the tentative agreement. If approved, it will be sent out for ratification by the union’s membership in accordance with established policy. Details of the agreement will be released at that time."
The voice actors strike began on July 26, 2024, demanding "fair compensation and the right of informed consent for the AI use of their faces, voices, and bodies." Game makers, of course, said they'd already offered "meaningful AI protections that include requiring consent and fair compensation," and expressed disappointment when the strike was announced that "the union has chosen to walk away when we are so close to a deal."
A statement provided to PC Gamer by a representative of the game companies involved in the new deal shed a little preliminary light on what it includes.
"We are pleased to have reached a tentative contract agreement that reflects the important contributions of SAG-AFTRA-represented performers in videogames," said Audrey Cooling, spokesperson for the videogame producers party to the Interactive Media Agreement. "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."
