As video game workers organize, SAG-AFTRA strikes against game studios
After nearly two years of talks, the 160,000-member SAG-AFTRA union declared a strike against 10 major video game studios including Microsoft-owned Activision Blizzard, "Grand Theft Auto" publisher Take-Two, Epic Games, and Electronic Arts.
During the strike, union workers will stop doing any voice, motion capture or stunt work for games. The union's last video game work stoppage came in 2016 and lasted for half a year. A key sticking point this time: AI.
"Frankly, it’s stunning that these video game studios haven’t learned anything from the lessons of last year — that our members can and will stand up and demand fair and equitable treatment with respect to AI, and the public supports us in that,” the union's national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland wrote in a statement.
The strike follows another recent labor development in the gaming industry: workers formed a wall-to-wall union at "Fallout" maker Bethesda Game Studios last week.
Video games are huge business: As we charted earlier this month, consumer spending on video games totaled $57.2 billion in 2023, easily eclipsing total box office revenue of $8.9 billion.
During the strike, union workers will stop doing any voice, motion capture or stunt work for games. The union's last video game work stoppage came in 2016 and lasted for half a year. A key sticking point this time: AI.
"Frankly, it’s stunning that these video game studios haven’t learned anything from the lessons of last year — that our members can and will stand up and demand fair and equitable treatment with respect to AI, and the public supports us in that,” the union's national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland wrote in a statement.
The strike follows another recent labor development in the gaming industry: workers formed a wall-to-wall union at "Fallout" maker Bethesda Game Studios last week.
Video games are huge business: As we charted earlier this month, consumer spending on video games totaled $57.2 billion in 2023, easily eclipsing total box office revenue of $8.9 billion.
