Fate Games put on hold as Writers Rooms Strike

Members of the Writers Guild of America have been striking for the past week, and look to continue for the foreseeable future. Among their demands are increased pay for streaming entertainment, restrictions on the use of AI, and not being tricked into thinking they’re just going to play a game of Fate.

“Unfortunately, it’s a very common tactic that the big studios will use from time to time,” says Dan Erickson, lead writer of Severance. “Someone calls you up to play a game of Fate, and just as you’re getting done with the Phase Trio some suit walks in and you find out you’ve written a pilot. You’re lucky if you ever get to handing out Fate Points.”

While some writers have expressed interest in playing Fate again while they’re on strike, others argue that even just one game could constitute breaking the strike. “I know some people think it’s just a game, but come on,” Erickson shook his head. “Everyone sitting around a table and mapping out character relationships? Setting up the major and minor issues that the characters will be facing? I’d rather you just be an honest scab.”

Ashley Lyle, co-creator of Yellowjackets, says that some strikers are too militant. “I just want a chance to sling some aspects around,” she said. “It’s been too long since I rolled some fudge dice and spent ten solid seconds trying to do first grade math to figure out my score. And if I happen to stumble across some interesting character foibles and interpersonal dynamics that inspire a few idle spec scripts, then what of it? I’ll just sit on them and dream about what they would be like, like I do with all my Fate campaign ideas.”