Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) will remain unaffected by the recent strike initiated by video game voice actors who are seeking better protection against artificial intelligence. The game's production timeline ensures it will not be disrupted by the ongoing labor action.
Announced yesterday by SAG-AFTRA, the strike targets several prominent developers and publishers to demand enhanced safeguards against AI usage. Scheduled to begin today, July 26, the work stoppage will impact companies under the Interactive Media Agreement, such as Activision, EA, and Take-Two Productions. Despite this, many in-development video games, including Take-Two's GTA 6, will continue their progress unimpeded.
According to a statement from SAG-AFTRA obtained by Kotaku reporter Ethan Gach, the strike excludes games that have been in production for more than a year, as well as live service games. Considering GTA 6 has been in development for much longer, it remains unaffected by the current strike actions.
Gach shared that GTA 6 will not face interruptions due to the voice actor strike, as confirmed by SAG-AFTRA. Voice actors affiliated with the union and currently involved in the game's development can proceed with their work without being affected by the strike.
SAG-AFTRA clarified the situation regarding games in production at the time of the strike notice in a statement, mentioning provisions within the Interactive Media Agreement contract. Specifically, games that received notice from the union in September 2022 or earlier are exempt from the strike, which is why these titles benefit from the one-year development condition.
The union also mentioned separate notice provisions for live service games, indicating that they could be subject to strike action in less than 60 days. Updates will be provided if the strike order extends to include these games as the duration of the strike progresses.
This suggests that other major upcoming titles could also be unaffected by the strike, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Assassin's Creed Shadows, and Star Wars Outlaws.