Video Games Face Delay After Actors Go on Strike Over AI Use, but GTA 6 Reportedly Won’t Be Impacted

Video game workers who are members of the SAG-AFTRA union have been on strike since July 26 over the use of artificial intelligence in the industry. The actors and major video game companies failed to come to an agreement over protections around AI use in game development. Following the strike, several video games currently in development face the possibility of delay. Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto 6 was earlier believed to be one such game that could be affected by the video game actors’ strike. A new report, however, has confirmed that the hotly anticipated game won’t be impacted by the SAG-AFTRA action.

GTA 6 ‘exempt’ from strike

According to Kotaku, GTA 6 is one of the several in-development titles exempt from the strike, which will allow actors to continue working on the project. The report received the confirmation from a spokesperson for the video game publishers involved in the negotiations with SAG-AFTRA workers. Rockstar Games parent Take-Two is one of the publishers facing the strike.

“I can confirm GTA VI is exempt,” the spokesperson told Kotaku. The spokesperson 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.

AI use in video game development

SAG-AFTRA members who work as actors in video games went on strike against all video game companies signed to the Interactive Media Agreement on July 26. The labour action was initiated after over a year-and-a-half of negotiations between the two parties failed to lead to a deal. According to SAG-AFTRA, 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 the growing use of AI tools in video game development. A report last week claimed that generative AI use had led to several job losses in the industry. Call of Duty maker Activision reportedly also made an AI-generated in-game cosmetic available for purchase on its online store.