League of Legends Voice Actors Face New SAG-AFTRA Strike \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ SAG-AFTRA has initiated a strike against “League of Legends” after accusing audio company Formosa Interactive of illegally using non-union actors for a project covered by the union strike. Formosa allegedly transferred the game to a shell company to bypass labor rules, leading to a broader strike involving the popular online multiplayer game. Riot Games, “League of Legends” developer, denies involvement.
League of Legends SAG-AFTRA Strike Quick Looks
- SAG-AFTRA calls a strike on “League of Legends” voice work.
- The dispute involves audio company Formosa Interactive hiring non-union actors.
- Formosa allegedly used shell companies to bypass labor strike rules.
- The union accuses Formosa of unfair labor practices and labor law violations.
- Riot Games denies any connection to the dispute, affirming its union support.
- SAG-AFTRA has stopped all services to “League of Legends” amid this strike.
Deep Look
The popular online game “League of Legends” finds itself at the center of a labor dispute as Hollywood’s actors union, SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), calls a strike against the title. The dispute arose after SAG-AFTRA accused Formosa Interactive, an audio company that provides voiceover services for the game, of attempting to circumvent the ongoing video game industry strike by employing non-union actors for a different project.
The core of the issue lies with Formosa’s alleged actions shortly after the strike began. According to SAG-AFTRA, Formosa attempted to “cancel” an unnamed video game covered by the strike. However, when it was revealed that the game couldn’t be legally canceled due to existing agreements, the company reportedly transferred the game to a shell company and issued casting calls exclusively for non-union actors. In response, SAG-AFTRA’s interactive negotiating committee unanimously voted to file an unfair labor practice charge against Formosa with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). As part of this charge, the union also declared a strike against “League of Legends,” one of Formosa’s major projects.
Formosa has not publicly responded to these allegations, but Riot Games, the developer of “League of Legends,” has made it clear that it is uninvolved in the controversy. Riot stated that it has always worked with union performers for “League of Legends” since it became a union project five years ago and denied any knowledge of or involvement in Formosa’s alleged actions. The developer emphasized that it had never requested Formosa to cancel a registered game.
According to Riot Games, SAG-AFTRA’s accusations relate to a different game and not one of its own titles. Nonetheless, the union has urged its members to immediately cease providing any voiceover services to “League of Legends,” despite it being one of the few major titles that had not been struck prior to the recent action.
This strike is part of a broader labor battle between SAG-AFTRA and video game companies. The conflict escalated after more than a year of negotiations over the union’s interactive media agreement stalled, primarily due to concerns about unregulated artificial intelligence (AI) in the industry. SAG-AFTRA’s national executive director, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, criticized Formosa’s alleged actions, highlighting the union’s frustration over the refusal to accept fair AI-related terms, terms that have already been agreed upon by other industries such as film, television, streaming, and music.
Crabtree-Ireland further condemned Formosa’s alleged use of non-union actors, calling it an illegal labor practice that would not be tolerated by SAG-AFTRA members. He pointed out that more than 90 other game developers have agreed to the union’s terms, which makes Formosa’s alleged behavior especially egregious in his view. Formosa Interactive is also a member of the bargaining group currently involved in talks with SAG-AFTRA over these broader concerns.
SAG-AFTRA’s Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee Chair, Sarah Elmaleh, expressed disappointment over Formosa’s actions. She criticized the company for abandoning union performers who have contributed significantly to bringing characters in games like “League of Legends” to life. Elmaleh lamented that a company with a history of being a union signatory would resort to what she called “double-dealing.”
The dispute comes amidst SAG-AFTRA’s broader strike efforts against several major video game companies. The union began striking in July following more than a year of negotiations that failed to resolve concerns surrounding pay, protections for performers, and particularly the unregulated use of AI in video games. SAG-AFTRA has repeatedly emphasized the importance of securing protections for performers as AI continues to play a larger role in the entertainment and gaming industries.
With tensions running high and SAG-AFTRA filing formal complaints, the outcome of this latest labor dispute remains to be seen. Whether Formosa Interactive and other companies will comply with the union’s demands or continue to push back against regulations on AI and labor practices will likely shape the future of both the video game industry and its relationship with unionized performers.
