SAG-AFTRA has issued a Do Not Work order for the upcoming game Mega Man: Dual Override. The notice instructs union members not to accept work on the production while it remains non-union.
Voice actor Ben Diskin announced he won’t reprise his role as Mega Man from Mega Man 11. In a social media post, Diskin said he was asked to return for Dual Override but only if he worked without union contract protections.
Diskin explained that while he was promised AI protections in writing, stating his voice wouldn’t be used for AI development, he declined anyway. Without a union contract, he said he would have limited ability to enforce those protections. Taking on a large company in court to enforce a non-union agreement wasn’t realistic for him.
A Do Not Work order means SAG-AFTRA members are expected not to work on the listed production. The union issues these notices when a production isn’t signed to an appropriate SAG-AFTRA agreement. For the production, this makes hiring union talent difficult or impossible unless they sign a union contract.
AI protections have become a central issue in voice acting labor disputes. Performers want clear consent requirements before their voices can be used to create digital replicas. They also want compensation for reuse and limits on training AI models with their performances. Union contracts provide standardized terms and enforcement mechanisms that individual performers can’t easily replicate on their own.
Mega Man 11 released in 2018 and became the best-selling game in the franchise. Diskin voiced the titular character in the English version. The series has varied wildly in how much voice acting it includes over the years, with classic entries featuring minimal dialogue and modern titles incorporating more voiced content.
The Do Not Work status could be resolved if the production signs a union agreement. Without that, the project may need to recast with non-union talent or adjust its voice acting plans.
