Grand Theft Auto 6 Exempt from SAG-AFTRA Strike, Actors to Continue Working on Project
The ongoing strike by video game workers who are members of the SAG-AFTRA union has been a major topic of discussion in the gaming industry. The strike, which began on July 26, is centered around the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in game development, with the actors and major video game companies failing to come to an agreement over protections around AI use.
According to a recent report by Kotaku, Rockstar Games’ highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) has been confirmed as one of the several in-development titles exempt from the strike. This means that actors will be able to continue working on the project without any disruptions.
The confirmation came from a spokesperson for the video game publishers involved in the negotiations with SAG-AFTRA workers. The spokesperson stated that “I can confirm GTA VI is exempt,” and also confirmed that any game that was already in development before September 2023 would be exempt from the SAG-AFTRA strike.
GTA 6 is set for release sometime in 2025, but developer Rockstar Games has not yet confirmed a release date. The news comes as a relief to fans of the game, who were worried that the strike might delay the project.
The SAG-AFTRA strike was initiated after over a year-and-a-half of negotiations between the two parties failed to lead to a deal. The union is seeking protections for performers covered by the contract in their AI language, but the video game companies have refused to “plainly affirm, in clear and enforceable language, that they will protect all performers covered by this contract in their AI language.”
The video game companies involved in the negotiations and now facing the strike include Activision Productions, Blindlight, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts Productions, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Llama Productions, Take 2 Productions, VoiceWorks Productions, and WB Games.
The video game industry has seen a growing use of AI tools in game development, with some reports claiming that generative AI use has led to several job losses in the industry. However, it remains to be seen how the strike will ultimately impact the industry and the future of AI use in game development.
