SAG-AFTRA video game actors approve new agreement — securing better pay, protections against AI, and more

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As an analyst, I am sharing that the SAG-AFTRA union announced on Wednesday that a new agreement for video game actors effective in 2025 has been accepted, thereby ending the almost year-long strike which commenced back in July 2024. The strike was initiated due to the union’s inability to reach an agreement with a bargaining unit consisting of prominent gaming companies such as Activision, Electronic Arts, Insomniac Games, and others.

Key aspects of this new agreement include a 15.17% increase in compensation for performers, with additional 3% increases scheduled for November 2026 and November 2027. Moreover, the agreement addresses concerns regarding artificial intelligence (AI) by implementing consent and disclosure requirements for any AI replicas, while also granting actors the ability to suspend consent for generating new material from their performances.

SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland expressed gratitude towards the video game performers and allies who endured significant sacrifices during the 11-month strike, stating: “We are grateful to extend our deepest appreciation to the video game performers and their allies for their unwavering support.” He further added that with the agreement’s ratification, video game performers will enjoy substantial compensation increases and essential AI protections, which SAG-AFTRA aims to further develop as AI technology continues to mature.

The primary cause for the industrial action was expressed as the concern over AI, particularly in relation to its use in video games such as Apex Legends, Call of Duty, and others. Initially, these companies resisted negotiating terms regarding AI replicas.

In 2025, Sony-owned PlayStation conducted an experiment where engineers from their Advanced Technology Group employed large language models (LLMs) to create a conversational model for the protagonist of Horizon Forbidden West, Aloy. The voice actress for Aloy, Ashly Burch, expressed her concern over such experiments, stating that “If a video like this were released, featuring someone’s performance, be it their voice, face, or movement, and we fail in our fight against AI, that person would have no means to protect themselves.”

Burch also mentioned that Guerrilla Games (the lead studio behind the Horizon series) had contacted her to assure her that her performance was not used in training the model, and that this experiment did not represent any current development at the studio.

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2025-07-11 14:09