Video game actors' strike: SAG-AFTRA says 80 games have agreed to its AI terms

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists announced Thursday that 80 video games have agreed to the union’s proposed AI terms as the video game performers’ strike rages on.

Under the condition that they abide by the union’s artificial intelligence rules, those games are now temporarily exempt from the walkout, and actors have been cleared to work on those titles during the strike. Companies that have entered AI agreements with SAG-AFTRA include Little Bat Games (“Vampire Therapist”), Studio Wildcard (“Ark: Survival Evolved”) and Lightspeed L.A. (“Last Sentinel”).

The agreements also contain provisions related to compensation, rest periods, health benefits, auditions and safety.

“The sheer volume of companies that have signed SAG-AFTRA agreements demonstrates how reasonable those protections are,” Sarah Elmaleh, chair of SAG-AFTRA’s video game negotiating committee, said in a statement.

Thousands of actors doing voice-over and motion-capture work in the video game industry have been on strike since late July when SAG-AFTRA and the companies failed to reach a resolution on artificial intelligence.

The so-called Interactive Media Agreement between the union and top game developers — including Activision, Electronic Arts, Insomniac, Blindlight, Warner Bros. and Disney — expired in November 2022.

SAG-AFTRA is seeking a deal that would require video game producers to notify and obtain consent from performers before using AI to replicate their voices, movements or likenesses. The union is also demanding that employers inform actors up front about how their digital replicas will be used and compensate them accordingly.

In a statement provided recently to The Times, video game company spokesperson Audrey Cooling said the employers “have worked hard to deliver proposals with reasonable terms that protect the rights of performers while ensuring we can continue to use the most advanced technology to create great entertainment experiences for fans.”

Interim agreements have been a key part of SAG-AFTRA’s campaign strategy since last year’s film and TV actors’ strike, which also saw various independent studios make side deals with the union before the work stoppage concluded. AI emerged as a major sticking point during that walkout as well.

On Wednesday, SAG-AFTRA announced that it had inked an interim agreement with Lightspeed L.A., allowing the company to move forward with its forthcoming video game “Last Sentinel.”

“Lightspeed L.A. has always recognized and valued the irreplaceable role of talent,” Steve Martin, general manager of Lightspeed L.A., said in a statement. “Supporting our cast is the right thing to do and there was never any hesitation to consider the performer protections that anchor this agreement.”