A game modder recently released an unofficial update to the popular game "The Witcher 3," which was a welcome addition for fans of the series. But the new mod comes with an extra side of controversy, Input Magazine reports. The modder, who goes by the handle nikich340, trained an AI algorithm on voice actor Doug Cockle's performance as Geralt, the game's main character, and then had it spit out all-new lines of dialogue in his voice -- a development that's causing anxiety for human voice performers. Part of the problem mirrors the rise of automation in any other industry -- performers told Input that they're nervous that game studios might try to replace them with sophisticated algorithms in order to save a few bucks. But the game modder's decision also raises questions about the agency that performers have over their own voices, as well as the artistry involved in bringing characters to life. "If this is true, this is just heartbreaking," video game voice actor Jay Britton tweeted about the mod.

The video game industry has made an offer to the SAG-AFTRA-represented video game voice actors, but the union won't put it to a vote in front of its members. Interactive Video Game Companies (VGC; the group representing the game industry) offered a nine percent raise that "accelerates the 3 percent annual increase sought by SAG-AFTRA negotiators over a three-year period" according to a statement. The publishers also have offered up to 950 more per game depending on how many voice sessions an actor does. The VGC's offer would raise day-rate for a four hour recording or on-camera session to 900. While these pay jumps sound fine on paper, they ignore the union's biggest concerns: stunt pay for intense voice sessions and compensation that comes on the back-end, like bonuses based on the amount of copies a game sells or subscribers it has.

The Screen Actor's Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists has announced that it will advise its members appearing in video games to take industrial action on Friday, October 21st. It's the culmination of a pitched battle between the union and the video game industry over how artists are compensated. SAG president Gabrielle Carteris said that despite months of negotiations, the pair haven't reached a fair agreement to cover actors appearing in "the most popular games in the world." The issue centers around how performers aren't compensated for appearing in games the same as they would for movies. In the words of Carteris, this is a "highly profitable industry" and that the strike is a way for SAG to secure for actors the "benefits they deserve."

It's the death rattles that really get Jack DeGolia, a voice actor in LA who does video game characters. "Blood-curdling screams, choking to death, then that final death rattle," DeGolia recalled. "There's breathing exercises you can do to calm things down, but you need to know your limits and be able to say, 'No'." Most actors won't say no, though: "The risk is, [game makers] will say, 'Fine, we'll get somebody else.'" The union representing actors and performers – Screen Actors Guild?American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or Sag-Aaftra – has asked the state of California to investigate the video game industry's allegedly brutal vocal recording sessions.