In the wake of the SAG-AFTRA protests, Activision, a subsidiary of Microsoft, has made a small change to this year’s Call of Duty.

Players noticed that two characters, William Peck and Samantha Maxis, sounded slightly different in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. A voice actor, Zeke Alton, has confirmed that Peck was voiced differently in the game’s Zombies mode and has been removed from the cast list. Unlike actors in film and television (who can strike while a project is still in production), the clause known as Side Letter Six allows work on interactive media to continue. Although members on day contracts can strike in solidarity (since the game began development before July), Activision has the option of replacing striking actors.

“As far as I know, that performance is not [mine]. It’s their character, and they can do whatever they want with it. My only concern is my brand as an actor. Fans of the game have reached out to me because the lack of credit [for the replacement actor] implies that it might still be me, which is unfair to my abilities as a performer. I have no problem with what Activision is doing with a character and IP that they own. I absolutely adore the creative team and the opportunity I’ve had to work with them in the past. I sincerely hope to work with them in the future once all performers are protected from generative AI abuse,” Alton told Game Developer.

In a statement to the press, Activision said: “We respect the personal decisions of these performers. Out of respect for all parties, we will not comment further on the ongoing negotiations with SAG-AFTRA. We look forward to reaching a mutually beneficial outcome as soon as possible. While the strike continues for some, SAG-AFTRA announced a new game localization agreement in mid-November. The Independent Interactive Localization Agreement covers the localization of projects that are written and released in a foreign language and then dubbed into English. As part of the agreement, performers will receive AI protections and employment opportunities.

That’s why the change was made.

Source: Gamesindustry, Game Developer