While the SAG-AFTRA strike is still ongoing, meaning Hollywood is essentially at a standstill as performers and actors refuse to work all in a bid to get better pay and benefits from the massive production companies, it now looks like this strike will begin to affect the gaming world too.
As reported on by Variety, SAG-AFTRA has now filed for a second strike against the major video game companies, all because contract talks have hit a "stalemate".
It's noted that SAG-AFTRA has a separate contract in place with the gaming giants such as Electronic Arts and Activision, and that this contract was set to expire last November before being extended for a further year. With contract talks ongoing, SAG-AFTRA is looking for an 11% increase in pay rates, which will then be followed by 4% and then a further 4%, which is the same demand as it is asking for from the movie production titans. There are also demands for protection against AI, which is said to also pose a threat to voice and performance artists in the gaming space.
The contract talks are set to resume on September 26th, but the ballots for whether a strike will be activated will be handed in the day before, on September 25th.