The video game voice actor and performer strike has officially concluded.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) confirmed it reached a "tentative agreement" on the interactive media contract earlier this week, potentially ending nearly a year of labor disputes in the video game industry. SAG-AFTRA has now formally suspended all strike activities as of noon PT on June 11.

The SAG-AFTRA video game strike began in July 2024 after the union and major game companies—including Activision, Blindlight, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Take 2 Productions, and WB Games—failed to agree on AI regulations. Over 98% of union members later voted in favor of the strike.

While the union has not yet finalized the agreement—a special meeting is scheduled for June 12 to review the terms—approval would lead to the document being sent to the broader membership for ratification.

This development means video game performers can resume work, which should reduce disruptions for players and their favorite games. Fans noticed that several ongoing titles, including Destiny 2 and World of Warcraft, featured unvoiced NPCs in scenes that normally include dialogue, likely due to the strike. Additionally, SAG-AFTRA sanctioned League of Legends last year after Riot reportedly attempted to undermine the strike by canceling a game. Activision also confirmed it recast characters in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 following fan concerns about new voice actors, while Epic Games faces an unfair labor charge after SAG-AFTRA filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) over the company's use of an AI-voiced Darth Vader NPC in Fortnite.

For those questioning the necessity of the strike, a story involving Horizon actor Ashly Burch offers insight. In a since-deleted video, Sharwin Raghoebardajal, Sony Interactive Entertainment's director of software engineering, was seen conversing with an AI-powered version of Aloy using voice prompts and AI-generated speech and facial animations.

The voice emanating from Aloy was distinctly not Burch's but a robotic tone reminiscent of text-to-speech generators. The AI Aloy's facial movements were rigid, and her eyes lacked expression during the exchange with Raghoebardajal.

“You must obtain our consent before creating an AI version of us in any form, compensate us fairly, and disclose how the AI double will be used,” Burch stated at the time. “I have a deep passion for this industry and art form, and I want to see a new generation of actors thrive. I want more incredible game performances and to continue in this profession. If the union and striking performers don’t succeed, that future is seriously at risk."