Here's a simple breakdown of the issue at hand.
SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors and other professionals in the entertainment industry in the United States, has targeted League of Legends with a strike order on Wednesday (25 September).
The union accused Formosa Interactive, the company that Riot contracted for LoL voiceovers (VO's), of unfair labour practices, including "refusing to respect performers’ union contracts" and avoiding agreements on AI protections.
Formosa Interactive, which specialises in outsourcing audio and art, has worked on major titles like League of Legends, Spectre Divide, and Once Human. This alleged breach of rules has sparked the strike.
Riot Games, the developer of LoL, responded by distancing themselves from the situation.
Riot confirmed that since becoming a union project five years ago, League of Legends has only used union talent in the U.S. and has never asked Formosa to do otherwise.
Formosa Interactive has yet to comment, and it’s unclear how much this strike will impact League of Legends production.
The strike follows a broader SAG-AFTRA order, which called for actors to walk away from any video game project started after September 2023.
If you're not within the industry, SAG-AFTRA's press release and Riot's response, along with the other articles online may be quite confusing for you. Here’s a simple breakdown of the issue.
What's the issue?
SAG-AFTRA says Formosa Interactive is engaging in "union busting." Essentially, the company allegedly tried to avoid hiring union workers by transferring projects to a non-union company.
Additionally, Formosa, along with others, is accused of refusing to agree on protections for workers against AI replacing them.
As a result, SAG-AFTRA has issued a strike on League of Legends, one of Formosa's biggest projects.
The union claims Formosa tried to cancel one of its games (not League of Legends), but when that didn’t work, they secretly moved the game to a non-union shell company to hire non-union talent.
Here's what the alleged violations are:
- Union Busting: SAG-AFTRA accuses Formosa of avoiding union workers by moving work non-union actors to a shell company.
- AI Protection: The union says Formosa won’t agree to fair protections against AI replacing human performers.
- Labour Law Violations: According to SAG-AFTRA, these actions break labour laws that protect workers’ rights to join unions and prevent discrimination against union members.
Why Target LoL?
The strike may seem to target League of Legends, itself, but the real issue is with Formosa Interactive. The company is heavily involved in handling its voice acting and audio work.
According to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by Voice Actor Kyle McCarley, known for his work for Nier Automata,LEGO Monkie Kid, and more, Riot Games is not a SAG-AFTRA signatory, but having a contract with Formosa,
However, according to a post by voice actor Linsey Rosseau (known for her role as Abigail Poole in Fallout 76), on X (formerly Twitter), while Riot Games wasn't directly involved, the VA alleged that LoL or Riot “is a struck company and they've had two months to come to the union and make a deal.”
The VA claimed that Riot did not seem interested in “protecting their actors from AI.”
SAG-AFTRA argues that striking such a high-profile game is a way to bring attention to the broader issues with Formosa and other companies in the bargaining group.
Union’s Stance
SAG-AFTRA’s National Executive Director, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, has made it clear that this is a warning.
He criticised Formosa for dodging union rules and refusing to agree on AI protections. According to Crabtree-Ireland, the union is “standing up to demand that companies respect the voice talent who bring our favorite characters to life.”
The union emphasises that companies, especially those as influential as Formosa, must meet the same standards that have been established in the film, television, and music industries.
In their statement, SAG-AFTRA reaffirmed that they are “fighting to ensure fair compensation, safer working conditions, and protections from AI replacement.”
Whether or not it affects the game long-term will depend on how Formosa responds to the union's demands.