Three months after initiating a strike due to concerns about AI voice work in video games, SAG-AFTRA is set to return to the negotiating table with companies under the Interactive Media Agreement on October 23. Participating companies include Disney, Activision, Electronic Arts, and Warner Bros. Games. Additionally, the guild plans to hold a picket line at the Warner Bros. lot on October 16.
"SAG-AFTRA and the convenience bargaining group, with whom the union negotiates its Interactive Media Agreement, will resume negotiations on Wednesday, Oct. 23," the announcement stated. "The convenience bargaining group comprises Activision Productions Inc., Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc., Electronic Arts Productions Inc., Formosa Interactive LLC, Insomniac Games Inc., Llama Productions LLC, Take 2 Productions Inc., and WB Games Inc." No additional comments were provided by either side at this time.
SAG-AFTRA declared the strike earlier this summer, noting that despite reaching agreements with IMA companies on almost all issues after over a year of negotiations, they could not agree on protections for voice actors and motion-capture performers regarding AI replication of their voices, movements, and likenesses.
In September, SAG-AFTRA focused on the Formosa Group, alleging that the voiceover production company sought non-union work through a shell company for a video game in development. Consequently, SAG-AFTRA filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board and expanded the strike to include League of Legends, one of Formosa's major games, which provides extensive voiceover work.
In a statement to GameSpot, a Riot spokesperson clarified, "League of Legends has no connection to the complaint mentioned in SAG-AFTRA's press release. Since becoming a union project five years ago, League of Legends has only engaged Formosa to work with Union performers in the US and has never suggested otherwise. Furthermore, we have never requested Formosa to cancel a game we've registered. All allegations in SAG-AFTRA's press release regarding game cancellations or hiring non-union talent pertain to a non-Riot game and are unrelated to League or any of our games."
The guild aims to ensure that video game performers consent to and are compensated for any use of their work in AI models for future video games.
"What we're urging video game companies to do is, 'Step up, follow the lead of other industries and companies, and respect human creative performance," SAG-AFTRA general counsel Jeff Bennett stated earlier this month. "Whether it's voice or physical performance."
