Performers guild SAG-AFTRA has called for its members to stop working on “League of Legends.” The union is claiming that its producer, Formosa Interactive, tried to bypass a strike currently taking place over a different video game produced by Formosa. The union didn’t specify which video game title this was.
Formosa Interactive specifically is the arm of Formosa Group that provides League of Legends’ voiceover work. The union claims that Formosa “tried to subvert” its ongoing strike. Allegedly, the publisher did this by attempting to hire non-union performers through a shell company.
Consequently, SAG-AFTRA filed an unfair labor practice charge against Formosa. The union did this via the National Labor Relations Board, claiming that Formosa is violating labor laws.
“SAG-AFTRA charges that these serious actions are egregious violations of core tenets of labor law — that employers cannot interfere with performers’ rights to form or join a union and they cannot discriminate against union performers,” the union said in a statement.
Why is SAG-AFTRA striking against League of Legands?
Moreover, SAG-AFTRA national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland claims that Formosa is “refusing to agree to the fair A.I. terms that have been agreed to by the film, television, streaming, and music industries, as well as more than 90 other game developers.”
“To commit illegal unfair labor practices is beyond the pale and won’t be tolerated by SAG-AFTRA members,” he added. “Formosa will be held accountable, starting with an immediate strike of League of Legends.”
Rebutting these accusations, a statement from the Formosa Group reads: “We fully reject SAG-AFTRA’s allegations and have not acted in any manner to undermine employee or union rights, nor our relationship with the union. We believe the strike of League of Legends, a game unrelated to the union’s claims, is not appropriate.”
“We stand with developers, publishers, platform holders, and talent to support global game development in a way that is safe and ethical for all,” the statement continues.
Furthermore, Riot Games, League of Legends’ publisher, distanced itself from the allegations altogether. The publisher said in a statement that it had “nothing to do” with the current conflict.
“We want to be clear,” it said. “Since becoming a union project five years ago, League of Legends has only asked Formosa to engage with Union performers in the US and has never once suggested doing otherwise.”
