Who's On Strike Now? Not SAG-AFTRA! - June 2025 Edition

Natalie Lifson
Jun 13
3 min read

*To look up unfamiliar terms, check out our Hollywood Glossary.

By Natalie Lifson, Agent Trainee and Executive Assistant at Buchwald and your co-Editor-in-Chief at THA

Image from SAG-AFTRA

Who’s on Strike Now? Not SAG-AFTRA anymore!

We first reported on SAG-AFTRA’s strike against 10 major video companies when it began nearly 300 days ago after failed attempts to renegotiate their Interactive Media Agreement. Now, we are excited to report that a tentative agreement was reached on June 9th, and as of June 12th the strike is finally over!

A spokesperson for the video game companies stated of the tentative agreement:

“It delivers historic wage increases of over 24% for performers, enhanced health and safety protections, and industry-leading AI provisions requiring transparency, consent and compensation for the use of digital replicas in games.”

A representative for the union stated:

“Patience and persistence has resulted in a deal that puts in place the necessary A.I. guardrails that defend performers’ livelihoods in the A.I. age, alongside other important gains.”

The agreement isn’t official until SAG-AFTRA members vote to ratify it, but it’s expected to go through. On June 18th, SAG-AFTRA will release full details of the agreement to its members, and they will have until July 9th to vote either yes or no. The SAG-AFTRA National Board has already recommended members vote yes.

For the most current information, HERE is SAG-AFTRA’s website, where they post regular updates.

Here’s a timeline of the strike so far:

November 2022: The Interactive Media Agreement between SAG-AFTRA and video game companies expired. Since then, it has been extended multiple times to allow for continued negotiations. -Deadline

September 25, 2023: SAG-AFTRA Members Vote Overwhelmingly To Authorize Strike Against Video Game Industry -Deadline

July 25, 2024: SAG-AFTRA Calls Strike Against Major Video Game Companies After Nearly 2 Years Of Contract Talks -Deadline
July 26, 2024:
1. SAG-AFTRA Chief Contracts Officer Ray Rodriguez On Calling Video Game Strike Day 1 Of Comic-Con: “We Had Exhausted Our Options” -Deadline
2. U.K. Equity Stands in Solidarity as SAG-AFTRA Strikes Hit Video Game Giants -Variety
August 1, 2024: SAG-AFTRA Hits Picket Line At Warner Bros. Demanding “Baseline Of Respect” From Major Video Game Companies -Deadline

August 15, 2024:
1. Video Game Union Performers Call for AI Protections at Disney Picket: “This Is Not Something We Can Wait For” -THR
2. SAG-AFTRA’s Duncan Crabtree-Ireland Says There’s Been “No Formal Exchange” With Major Video Game Companies As Strike Hits Third Week -Deadline

August 27, 2024: SAG-AFTRA Wins Passage of California Bill to Limit AI Replicas -THR

September, 2024: SAG-AFTRA Says 80 Video Games Signed to Deals During Strike Against Major Studios -THR

September 7, 2024: Video Game Strike Solidarity at the 2024 NYC Labor Day Parade: Striking video game performers and other supporters from SAG-AFTRA joined the New York City Central Labor Council Labor Day Parade and March. -SAG-AFTRA

October 15, 2024: SAG-AFTRA, Video Game Companies to Hold Contract Talks for First Time Since Actors Strike Called -Variety

October 26, 2024: Video Game Actors Strike Continues as SAG-AFTRA Extends Contract Negotiations -Variety

March 11, 2025: SAG-AFTRA shares a memo with members that contains the following and more:
1. An extensive “comparison chart” of proposals and counter-proposals
2. An announcement: More than 160 games have signed interim and independent agreements
3. A thank you to members for continuing to strike

June 9, 2025: SAG-AFTRA Inks Tentative New Deal With Major Video Game Developers That Includes “Necessary A.I. Guardrails” -Deadline
1. “Despite the announcement, the union also made clear that members are not back to work quite yet. SAG-AFTRA says it expects to finalize a strike suspension agreement with the employers “soon,” but the work stoppage continues until then.”

June 11, 2025: SAG-AFTRA Suspends Video Game Strike After Securing Tentative Deal With Major Developers -Deadline
1. “While the deal reached earlier this week still needs the approval of the National Board and the membership at large, SAG-AFTRA members will now be able to return to work on productions under the Interactive Media Agreement, including publicity and promotion.”