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Grand Theft Auto 6 reportedly won't be affected by the SAG-AFTRA strike

While SAG-AFTRA is dissuading performers from signing new contracts, it will not stand in the way of contracts already in effect for GTA 6.

TJ Denzer

July 26, 2024 11:38 AM

Image via Rockstar Games

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This week, SAG-AFTRA announced a strike against performances in video games in an effort to pressure developers and publishers into agreeing to protections against abusive use of AI to replace voice actors and motion capture performers. In the months ahead, this could make game development difficult for any game that uses voice work and motion capture, but there are addendums that protect some games that started development before the strike. One of them is Grand Theft Auto, of which SAG-AFTRA has said its current contracts will be honored.

This addendum was first reported by Ethan Gach of Kotaku, who discovered a disclaimer from SAG-AFTRA for games like Grand Theft Auto 6:

The SAG-AFTRA strike was announced earlier this week after negotiations with game developers and publishers did not produce the results the guild was looking for in regards to use of artificial intelligence. SAG-AFTRA believes that major game producers have failed to establish reasonable protections against abusive use of AI that might be used to replicate a performer’s voice or motion capture work and eventually replace them altogether. It’s also worth noting that while this strike is fresh, it continues from a strike that ran through major parts of 2023 and eventually led to the negotiation table at the start of this year.

It remains to be seen what it will take for SAG-AFTRA and video game publishers to find middle ground, but at the very least, projects like Grand Theft Auto 6 are still on track for now. With a Fall 2025 release window currently set for the game, stay tuned as we watch for further updates here at Shacknews.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.