The SAG-AFTRA video game voice actors’ strike is officially over

After a year of negotiations, the SAG-AFTRA video game voice actors’ strike has officially come to an end, with members of the guild approving the 2025 Interactive Media Agreement. 

The strike — which had been ongoing since July 2024 — was halted last month when SAG-AFTRA union members and the game companies represented by the Interactive Media Agreement (IMA) Negotiating Committee reached a tentative agreement. This led to the strike itself ending, but SAG-AFTRA members hadn’t yet ratified the agreement. Now, a year after SAG-AFTRA voice actors went on strike, the 2025 Interactive Media Agreement has been approved by the guild, with 95.04% of SAG-AFTRA members voting in favor of the updated agreement, and 4.96% voting against it.

“Together we have achieved far more than many thought possible and have made important headway in our ongoing efforts to expand video game performers’ rights and ensure sustainable careers for those dedicated to this vibrant artform,” the union said in a press release. “We express our deepest appreciation to the dedicated negotiating committee made up of your fellow performers, working in partnership with our expert negotiating staff and lead negotiator Ray Rodriguez.”

With the contract now ratified, video game performers (including voice actors) will immediately begin receiving a 15.17% increase in compensation for their work, and that compensation will be increased by an additional 3% each November from 2025 to 2027. Health and retirement benefits have also been boosted, with the AFTRA Retirement Fund increasing by 0.5% now, with another 0.5% increase going into effect this October.

But arguably the biggest win for the guild in this new agreement — and one of the main reasons voice actors were striking in the first place — is the implementation of AI protections for performers working in the games industry. SAG-AFTRA says that the updated contract “establishes foundational guardrails around AI, including informed consent requirements across various AI uses and the ability for performers to suspend informed consent for digital replica use during a strike.”

“Now that the agreement is ratified, video game performers will be able to enjoy meaningful gains and important A.I. protections, which we will continue to build on as uses of this technology settle and evolve,” SAG-AFTRA national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said.

The video game companies represented by the IMA Negotiating Committee also released a statement via the organization’s spokesperson, Audrey Cooing.

“We are pleased that SAG-AFTRA members have ratified a new Interactive Media Agreement, which delivers historic wage increases, industry-leading A.I. protections, and enhanced health and safety measures for performers,” Cooling said. “We look forward to building on our industry’s decades-long partnership with the union and continuing to create groundbreaking entertainment experiences for billions of players worldwide.”

The video game studios and publishers represented by the IMA Negotiating Committee include Activision Productions Inc., Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc., Electronic Arts Productions Inc., Epic Games Inc., Formosa Interactive LLC, Insomniac Games Inc., Take 2 Productions Inc., and WB Games Inc.