Performers in the sector walked out on July 26 after failing to reach an agreement on the use of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) in development.
Members of the SAG-Aftra union, which represents approximately 2,500 performers, recently conducted a protest outside the offices of Warner Bros, one of ten gaming firms negotiating with them.
They claim their offer provides “meaningful protections” for workers, but SAG-Aftra disagrees.
News spoke with the union’s senior negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, to find out what this could mean for gamers.
Has the strike halted the production of video games?
Although the strike is targeted.
Games that began development before September 2023 are technically excluded from strike action, thus this year’s major releases, including the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6, are unlikely to be impacted.
Because video game creation is time-consuming and confidential, the consequences on games may be unclear for some time.
Duncan expects that “live gaming” – a word used to describe routinely updated titles like Fortnite and Apex Legends – “will be affected the most quickly”.
