LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� An 11-month strike by video game performers if members ratify a deal that delivers pay raises, control over their likenesses and artificial intelligence protections.
The agreement feels 鈥渓ike diamond amounts of pressure suddenly lifted,鈥� said Sarah Elmaleh, a voice actor and chair of the interactive branch negotiating committee.
Union members have until Wednesday at 5 p.m. Pacific to vote on ratifying the tentative agreement.
Voice and body performers for video games that unregulated use of AI could displace them and threaten their artistic autonomy.
鈥淚t鈥檚 obviously far from resolved,鈥� Elmaleh said. 鈥滲ut the idea that that we鈥檙e in a zone where we might have concluded this feels like a lightening and a relief.鈥�
AI concerns are especially dire in the video game industry, where human performers infuse characters with distinctive movements, shrieks, falls and plot-twisting dialogue.
鈥淚 hope and I believe that our members, when they look back on this, will say all of the sacrifices and difficulty we put ourselves through to achieve this agreement will ultimately be worth it because we do have the key elements that we need to feel confident and moving forward in this business,鈥� said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the SAG-AFTRA national executive director and chief negotiator.
Here鈥檚 a look at the contract currently up for vote, and what it means for the future of the video game industry.
How did the current strike play out?
Video game performers went on strike last July following nearly two years of failed negotiations with major game studios, as both sides remained split over generative AI regulations.
signed interim agreements accepting AI provisions SAG-AFTRA was seeking, the union said, which allowed some work to continue.
The video game industry is a massive global industry, generating an estimated $187 billion in 2024, according to game market forecaster .
鈥淥D,鈥� and 鈥淧hysint鈥� were two games delayed due to the strike during the filming and casting stage, video game developer Hideo Kojima . Riot Games, a video game developer, that some new skins in 鈥淟eague of Legends鈥� would have to use existing voice-overs, since new content couldn't be recorded by striking actors. Skins are cosmetic items that can change the visual appearance of a player and is sometimes equipped with new voice-overs and unique recorded lines.
The proposed contract "builds on three decades of successful partnership between the interactive entertainment industry and the union" to deliver 鈥渉istoric wage increases鈥� and 鈥渋ndustry-leading AI provisions," wrote Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for the video game producers involved in the deal.
鈥淲e look forward to continuing to work with performers to create new and engaging entertainment experiences for billions of players throughout the world,鈥� Cooling wrote.
Video game performers had previously gone on strike in October 2016, with a tentative deal reached 11 months later. That strike helped secure a bonus compensation structure for voice actors and performance capture artists. The agreement was ratified with 90% support, with 10% of members voting.
The secures an increase in performer compensation of just over 15% upon ratification and an additional 3% increase each year of the three-year contract.
How would AI use change in video games?
AI concerns have taken center stage as industries across various sectors attempt to keep up with the fast-evolving technology. It鈥檚 a during the that forced the industry to a stop in 2023.
鈥淚n the last few years, it鈥檚 become obvious that we are at an inflection point where rules of the road have to be set for AI, and if they aren鈥檛, the consequences are potentially very serious,鈥� Crabtree-Ireland said. 鈥淚 think that really made this negotiation extra important for all of us.鈥�
SAG-AFTRA leaders have billed 鈥� and AI in particular 鈥� as an existential crisis for performers. Game voice actors and motion capture artists鈥� likenesses, they say, could be replicated by AI and used without their consent and without fair compensation.
The proposed contract delineates clear restrictions on when and how video game companies can create digital replicas, which use AI to generate new performances that weren't recorded by an actor.
Employers must obtain written permission from a performer to create a digital replica 鈥� consent which must be granted during the performer鈥檚 lifetime and is valid after death unless otherwise limited, the contract states. The time spent creating a digital replica will be compensated as the same amount of work time it would have required for a new performance.
The agreement also requires the employer to provide the performer with a usage report that details how the replica was used and calculates the expected compensation.
Elmaleh, who has been voice acting since 2010 and had to turn down projects throughout the strike, said securing these gains required voice actors bring vulnerability and openness to the bargaining table.
鈥淲e talked a lot about the personal, the way it affects our displacement as workers and just the sustainability of our careers,鈥� Elmaleh said. 鈥漁ur work involves your inner child. It鈥檚 being very vulnerable, it鈥檚 being playful.鈥�
What鈥檚 next for the video game industry?
The tentative agreement centers on consent, compensation and transparency, which union leaders say are key elements needed for the industry to keep progressing.
As the contract is considered by union members, Elmaleh and Crabtree-Ireland said further work needs to be done to ensure the provisions are as broad as necessary.
鈥淓ven though there鈥檚 a deal that鈥檚 been made now, and we鈥檝e locked in a lot of really crucial protections and guardrails, the things that we haven鈥檛 been able to achieve yet, we鈥檙e going to be continuing to fight for them,鈥� Crabtree-Ireland said. 鈥淓very time these contracts expire is our chance to improve upon them.鈥�
Elmaleh said she hopes both the video game companies and performers can soon work collaboratively to develop guidelines on AI as the technology evolves 鈥� a process she said should start well the proposed contract would expire in October 2028.
Leading negotiations has felt like a full-time job for Elmaleh, who took on the role in a volunteer capacity. As the efforts die down, she said she anxiously anticipates returning to video game acting in a landscape that is safer for performers.
Voice acting 鈥渋s core to who I am. It鈥檚 why I fought so hard for this. I wouldn鈥檛 do this if I didn鈥檛 love what I do so much. I think it鈥檚 so special and worthy of protection,鈥� she said.
Itzel Luna, The Associated Press
