SAG-AFTRA Reaches “Tentative” Agreement with Gaming Companies

Man, I gotta say, here’s something wild. So, SAG-AFTRA, those folks who stick up for all the talented folks in the performing world, just hit what they’re calling a “tentative” deal with some big video game companies. No kidding. They mentioned Activision, EA, and Epic Games. What a lineup, right? Honestly, sometimes I wonder how these negotiations even come together. But anyway, it’s gonna be reviewed by SAG-AFTRA’s board soon, or so they say. Like, fingers crossed?

Oh, this whole thing started ’cause game performers decided, “Enough!” and went on strike back in July 2024 — yeah, that was a whole thing — fighting against the wild west of AI taking over game dev roles.

And listen to this, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland — I mean, what a name — he’s their national executive director, piped up about how grateful everyone is for those sticking it out for so long. Made me think of a marathon, you know? Just grinding it out.

Then there’s Fran Drescher, their president, who basically gave a nod to all the gutsy folks going toe-to-toe with these gaming giants. She’s like, “We got this deal, and we’re moving forward.” Feels like one of those sports movies where the underdog team actually wins, right? So yeah, they’re getting ready for the next big thing even before the ink’s dry on this one. Because contracts never really end; they just keep evolving like, uh, Pokémon or something.