The union that represents video game voice actors, SAG-AFTRA, has been on strike for nearly a year against a total of eleven companies. Now, it looks as though sufficient ground has been met for this strike action to come to an end, thanks to a "tentative" agreement with the companies in question.

The news was revealed by the union in a statement, explaining that many of its members' demands have now been met, after an agreement was made early on Saturday morning. Included in the agreement is a new bonus structure that provides "additional payment to performers," a bonus that is calculated based on the number of sessions worked on each game.

“This is an important advance in this critical industry space. We secured a number of gains including for the first time, a secondary payment structure which was one of the members' key concerns,” said Gabrielle Carteris, SAG-AFTRA President. "The courage of our members and their fortitude these many months has been admirable and I salute them. We are always stronger together."

Although this secondary payment formed part of the issue when it came to the strike action itself, this was far from the only reason why the voice actor strike has taken place. Alongside the requirement for bonus payments, the union members also wanted better support when it came to vocal injuries, with many concerned about completing strenuous sessions without any kind of health support.

Thankfully for the union members, who initially voted on strike action over a year ago, it seems as though the companies have agreed to continue working with SAG-AFTRA on this ongoing issue. As well as this, the agreement includes a greater transparency for performers, with actors set to look forward to a greater level of transparency when it comes to understanding more about the project they will be involved in, including content of a violent or sexual nature.

With a further vote on the contract set for October, it will hopefully not be too long before this tentative agreement becomes a more solid one. The strike had some cost, such as the inability of Ashly Burch to take on the role of Chloe in Life is Strange once more, but this move may well have cemented the rights of voice actors across the board.

Source: SAG-AFTRA