“Activision Subtly Updates Voice Cast for Murky Ops 6 Zombies During SAG-AFTRA Dispute”

Voice by way of Activision/Microsoft.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 developer and distributor Activision has declared that it has recast multiple characters in its “Zombies” mode amid the current SAG-AFTRA strike.

Concerns regarding the recasting began to arise as updates for Black Ops 6 introduced new missions featuring returning characters that unexpectedly sounded noticeably different. Players noticed that the characters William Peck and Samantha Maxis—previously voiced by Zeke Alton and Julie Nathanson, respectively—appeared to be portrayed by new actors (Samantha Maxis is represented in this game as an A.I. persona named “S.A.M.”).

Alton does not appear in Black Ops 6‘s credits. Nathanson is credited, but she and the other listed performers are not attributed to their specific characters, making it challenging to determine where their voices are featured in the game. It is uncertain whether the voices of characters from previous Zombies campaigns have also been recast.

Activision and Alton both confirmed the recasting in statements to Game Developer—but careful wording from both parties concerning the “hows” and “whys” of the recasting highlights the complicated nature of the SAG-AFTRA strike.

“To the best of my knowledge, that performance is not [mine],” Alton stated when Game Developer inquired whether he reprised the role of Peck in Black Ops 6. “It’s their character and they can do with it what they wish. My only concern is for my reputation as a performer. Fans of the game have contacted me because the lack of crediting [of the replacement actor] suggests that it may still be me, which inaccurately represents my skills as a performer,” he added.

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“I have no issue with Activision’s decisions regarding a character and intellectual property that they own. I genuinely appreciate the creative team and the chance I’ve had to work with them in the past. I hope to collaborate again in the future once all performers are safeguarded against the abuses of generative AI.”

In response to a request for comment, an Activision spokesperson provided the following statement: “We respect the individual choice of these performers. Out of consideration for all involved, we will not provide additional comments regarding the ongoing negotiations with SAG-AFTRA. We look forward to a mutually beneficial resolution as soon as possible.”

Although these statements offer some clarity regarding the abrupt voice changes in the long-standing PvE zombie-slaying mode, it is important to acknowledge the surrounding confusion and wonder what led to the alteration. Examining what might be occurring begins with one fact: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is not a struck production.

Why can’t voice actors strike on Call of Duty: Black Ops 6?

The ongoing SAG-AFTRA voice actors strike is more complex than the film and television actors strike that came before it in 2023. According to the terms of the film and television contract, striking actors are legally permitted to cease work on an in-production shoot and not return to set. The Interactive Media Agreement signed in 2020 contains a unique clause commonly referred to as “Side Letter Six” that allows actors to continue working on games under union contract as long as the game began production before the strike was announced.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 commenced development prior to July 25, 2024. This means it is exempt from the strike under Side Letter Six, and striking would be in violation of the IMA. However, SAG-AFTRA notes that individuals working under “daily contracts” on exempt productions can choose to “not sign a new contract” to show solidarity with striking union members. If they do so, recasting their characters would not be the same as hiring replacement labor on a struck production (informally referred to as “scabbing“).

Activision’s mention of the “choice” of the performers may refer to their decision not to sign a brand new daily contract after the strike began. The company may not have chosen to offer a contract for other reasons.

Daily contracts on in-production games are not the only options developers can explore to engage union talent. They can also establish what’s necessary as the “
“`Provisional Interactive Media Agreement,” which encompasses terms found within the union’s optimal offer to its negotiation counterparts. More than 80 game creators have acknowledged the Provisional Agreement since the strike commenced.

It is possible that Activision decided to recast Peck, S.A.M, and additional characters well before the strike initiated, yet there is cause to suggest this is not actually the case. The clearest indication of a mid-production recasting is found in the form of the introductory cinematic for the stage “Terminus.” A Reddit user “Heenix_” observed that Peck’s vocal performance in the scene has altered between when Activision published the cinematic as a preview in August prior to the launch of Black Ops 6, and when it appeared during gameplay in November after it was released.

Game Developer independently analyzed the audio from both videos and confirmed that Peck’s voice sounds different between the two iterations, with the earlier version closely resembling Alton’s previous work.

However, to reiterate what Alton mentioned earlier: the voice heard in the second scene from Black Ops 6 is, to the best of his knowledge, not his own.

Game Developer has contacted Julie Nathanson and SAG-AFTRA for comments and will update this story when a reply is provided.

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