2016–2017 video game voice actor strike

From October 2016 to September 2017, SAG-AFTRA, representing video game voice actors, went on strike against American video game companies over failed contract renegotiation terms of the Interactive Media Agreements that had been in discussion since February 2015. The union sought to have actors, voice actors, and motion-capture actors who contribute to video games be better compensated with residuals based on video game sales atop their existing recording payments; the game companies asserted that the industry as a whole eschews the use of residuals, and by giving the actors these, they would trivialize the efforts of the developers who are "most responsible" for the development of the games. In exchange, the companies had offered a fixed increase in rates and a sliding-scale upfront bonus for multiple recording sessions, which the union had rejected. Other issues highlighted by the strike include better transparency in what roles and conditions actors would perform, more safety precautions and oversight to avoid vocal stress for certain roles, and better safety assurances for actors while on set.

Actors within the union used both physical and virtual picketing to make the public aware of their complaints, and gained support from the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, the Actors' Equity Association, the British Actors' Equity Association, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists, the Australian Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, and Equity New Zealand, who requested that their members not take any of the acting work that was open due to the striking actors. It was the first such unionized strike in the video game industry. Due to the commonly long development period for video games, the strike's impact on the industry was initially expected to be felt for years.

A deal between SAG-AFTRA and the companies was reached on September 23, 2017, effectively ending the strike after 340 days, making it the longest strike in the union's history. The agreement was ratified by SAG-AFTRA's board of directors and approved by majority vote in November 2017, creating a new three-year contract. The deal was praised by some but largely criticized by voice actors, who felt that the union conceded too much to the video game companies in order to accept a pay rise for actors and pointed out that the agreement did not include residuals or any specific terms in regards to the issue of vocal stress.