SAG-AFTRA will remain on strike against the major video game companies, as talks on a new deal have been extended once again. Negotiations on a new Interactive Media Agreement resumed on Wednesday, marking the first official bargaining dates between the two parties since SAG-AFTRA called a strike in July.

SAG-AFTRA's strike against major video game publishers is set to continue, as the actors union has extended contract negotiations with the employers.

News comes days after SAG-AFTRA announces more than 120 games have signed on to the union's tired budget or interim agreements

The move comes after the union and the employer unit representing companies like Activision and Electronic Arts resumed negotiations in person for three days.

Rather than individually strike games, SAG-AFTRA should go broad in Q4 as new “Call of Duty” and “Dragon Age” releases drop

It's been around three months since SAG-AFTRA, a union representing over 160,000 actors across the industry (note: also in videogames), declared a strike over AI, stating that "employers refuse to plainly affirm, in clear and enforceable language, that they will protect all performers covered by this contract in their AI language."

After a strike that lasted nearly five months, SAG-AFTRA will resume negotiations with major game publishers, seeking protections from unethical AI for video ga

The sticking point between SAG and the bargaining group continues to be the protections the guild seeks for actors when it comes to AI technology. These provisions focus on “proper consent, compensation and transparency around the use of AI, for all [SAG] members who work the contract”.

The negotiations began in October 2022, and in September 2023, SAG-AFTRA members voted 98.32% in favor of a strike authorization against 10 video game companies. The vote at the time did not initiate a strike, but permitted the union's national board to declare a strike if ongoing negotiations were not successful.