SAG-AFTRA has confirmed that Grand Theft Auto 6 is exempt from the video game strike due to a prior agreement.
As reported by Kotaku, any title in development before September 2023 is exempt from the strike, as well as live service games.
“We're obviously not happy with it,” SAG-AFTRA's director of contracts Ray Rodriguez told Aftermath. “That language was negotiated in one of the legacy interactive media agreements before the (SAG-AFTRA) merger. It's language that the merged union basically inherited, which I think is crazy. But it's there.”
Rodriguez said the union is preparing to challenge the exemption of certain titles to protect its members.
“We believe there are certain titles that we can challenge and we are preparing to do so in relation to the application of this language,” he said. “So we are doing everything we can to carry out the strike as effectively and vigorously as possible, even though that language is present.”
SAG-AFTRA has advised members who work for non-union parties or companies to “stand in solidarity with their fellow workers by refusing to cross a picket line for them” since employers “are contractually prohibited from discriminating against them for this choice.”
He also advised members who have daily contracts not to sign new contracts with a party that is not on strike during the strike.
SAG-AFTRA last week called for a video game strike to protect voice and acting actors from generative AI and provide greater job security.