SAG-AFTRA aims to assist student game developers during its strike against major game studios by introducing exceptions that permit union actors to participate in student projects and game jams.

On Friday, the union announced the Student Interactive Waiver Agreement and the Game Jam Waiver Agreement, designed to facilitate opportunities for early-career game developers while ensuring actors remain compliant with strike rules. As Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the National Executive Director of SAG-AFTRA, emphasized in a press release, “Our members are passionate about this industry and they want to participate in these types of projects where the future of video games is being shaped.”

The waivers have specific qualifying requirements but ultimately benefit both the actors and game developers.

Having been on strike for eight months as of March 26, SAG-AFTRA has halted new projects with major game studios. These waivers present crucial alternatives for actors to engage in creative work without jeopardizing their strike status.

The ongoing struggle is primarily rooted in demands for AI protection against unauthorized use of likenesses. Earlier this month, Ashley Burch, known for her role in Horizon Zero Dawn, voiced her concerns about AI’s impact on performance rights and actor protections.

As Burch articulated, “I feel worried not because the technology exists, not even because game companies want to use it. Of course, they do; they always want to use technological advancements. I just imagine a video like this coming out that does have someone’s performance attached to it.”

The SAG-AFTRA strike’s continuation is closely tied to the quest for these essential protections, with game studios already feeling the repercussions, such as League of Legends reportedly recycling old voiceover clips.