A lot of games will be affected by the SAG-AFTRA video game actors strike, but one of the most anticipated games of the next few years isn’t one of them. In a statement to Kotaku, it was confirmed that Grand Theft Auto 6 isn’t impacted by the strike.
“I can confirm GTA 6 is exempt,” a spokesperson for the publishers named in ongoing conversations said. The publication also learned that any games that were in development before September 2023 are unaffected, since that’s when the union voted to authorize the strike.
“Due to certain provisions in the IMA [Interactive Media Agreement] contract, games that were in production at the time that the union provided the company its notice of termination are not currently subject to strike order. Most notices were sent in September 2022,” SAG-AFTRA states.
It’s also unlikely to affect other huge titles coming out this year, including Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. It might impact games in development, like any of Insomniac’s projects. Ubisoft productions likely aren’t impacted either, since it’s not one of the companies listed; so expect Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Star Wars Outlaws to release unhindered by the strike.
There are different rules for live-service games. SAG-AFTRA said separately that it “served a separate notice relating to live service games, which we can strike in less than 60 days.” It continued, “We will update the membership if we expand the strike order to include those games closer to that time.”
SAG-AFTRA notes that it’s all right for actors in the union to continue working, but if they’re under a daily contract, they shouldn’t sign new contracts to show solidarity. Generally speaking, actors won’t be disciplined for crossing the picket line, but it’s not a good look.
SAG-AFTRA went on strike against 10 companies: Activision Productions, Blindlight, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Llama Productions, Take-Two Productions, VoiceWorks Productions, and Warner Bros. Games. (Take 2 is the parent company of Rockstar Games.) The union voted to start the strike Thursday night, after a year and a half of negotiations over concerns about how studios could use AI to replicate their voices and likenesses.
“We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse A.I. to the detriment of our members. Enough is enough,” SAF-AFTRA president Fran Drescher said in the announcement.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the studios said the group is going to the table in good faith.
“We have already found common ground on 24 out of 25 proposals, including historic wage increases and additional safety provisions. Our offer is directly responsive to SAG-AFTRA’s concerns and extends meaningful AI protections that include requiring consent and fair compensation to all performers working under the [Interactive Media Agreement],” spokesperson Audrey Cooling said.
