Video Game Voice Actors Vote To Authorize Strike

SAG video game union graphic

If you’ve been on the internet the past few months, you’ve probably heard a thing or two about the big entertainment industry strikes. It started with the Writers Guild of America, whose strike started on May 2, 2023, and was followed up by the SAG-AFTRA strike from July 14, 2023. Both groups were rallying against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), asking for better pay, protections against the use of AI technology, and more very reasonable requests.

So far, games haven’t been affected by the strike, because despite games often featuring voice actors who are a part of the guild, the contracts for interactive media have been separately negotiated. It looks like game publishers won’t be able to escape the wrath of collective action much longer though, as SAG-AFTRA members have voted to authorize a video game strike just before the union is set to start negotiating again.

In a media statement from SAG-AFTRA, the union revealed that 98.32% of voting union members voted in favor of strike authorization, with 34,687 members casting ballots on the matter. It comes after a year of stalled negotiations with some of the biggest game publishers in the US — including Activision, EA, Insomniac Games, Epic Games, and WB Games.

“Throughout the negotiations, the companies have refused to offer acceptable terms on some of the issues most critical to our members, including wages that keep up with inflation, protections around exploitative uses of artificial intelligence, and basic safety precautions,” the SAG-AFTRA statement reads.

It continues: “The next bargaining session is scheduled for Sept. 26, 27, and 28, and we hope the added leverage of a successful strike authorization vote will compel the companies to make significant movement on critical issues where we are still far apart.”

SAG-AFTRA national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said there have been five rounds of bargaining, but it’s become “abundantly clear” that video game companies and publishers aren’t engaging on the topics that matter most to members.

“I remain hopeful that we will be able to reach an agreement that meets members’ needs, but our members are done being exploited,” Crabtree-Ireland said, “If these corporations aren’t willing to offer a fair deal, our next stop will be the picket lines.”

It’s worth noting that this does not mean video game voice and performance actors are already on strike, it simply means that a strike could be called at any time, should video game companies fail to meaningfully negotiate with the union. None of the video game companies mentioned in SAG-AFTRA’s statement have publicly responded to the successful vote.