Video game actors’ union calls for strike against ‘League of Legends’

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Hollywood actors’ union called a strike Tuesday against the popular multiplayer online game “League of Legends,” saying the company that makes the game tried to circumvent an ongoing strike in the video game industry by hiring nonunion actors to work on a union title.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists said Formosa Interactive LLC attempted to “cancel” an unidentified video game affected by the strike shortly after the work stoppage began. The union said that when Formosa learned it could not cancel the game, the company “secretly transferred the game to a shell company and sent out casting notices only to ‘non-union’ talent.” In response, the union’s Interactive Bargaining Committee voted unanimously to file an unfair labor practice complaint against the company with the National Labor Relations Board and to call a strike against “League of Legends” as part of that complaint.

“League of Legends” is one of Formosa’s best-known projects. The company provides voice acting services for the game, according to SAG-AFTRA.

SAG-AFTRA accused Formosa of interfering with protections that allow performers to form or join unions and preventing those performers from being discriminated against — a move the union called “flagrant violations of fundamental labor law principles.”

Formosa did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Riot Games, the developer of “League of Legends,” said the company “had nothing to do” with the union’s complaint.

“We want to be clear: Since becoming a union project five years ago, League of Legends has only asked Formosa to engage with unionized artists in the United States and has never suggested otherwise,” Riot said in an emailed statement. “Furthermore, we have never asked Formosa to cancel a game we recorded.”

SAG-AFTRA’s allegations relate to a non-Riot game, the game’s publisher said.

“It’s bad enough that Formosa and other companies refuse to accept the fair terms on AI that have been agreed to by the film, television, streaming and music industries, as well as over 90 other game developers,” said the union’s national executive director, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. “Committing unfair and illegal labor practices is unacceptable and will not be tolerated by SAG-AFTRA members.”

SAG-AFTRA members must immediately stop providing covered services to “League of Legends,” the union said. As of Tuesday, the game was one of several titles that had not been delisted. Formosa is a signatory to the union.

“League of Legends is a game of champions. Instead of supporting union artists who bring immense talent and experience to beloved characters, Formosa’s decision-makers have chosen to try to evade and abandon them,” said Sarah Elmaleh, chair of the Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee. “Such double-dealing is very disappointing coming from a long-time union signatory.”

In July, SAG-AFTRA called a strike against major video game companies after more than a year of negotiations over the union’s interactive media agreement broke down over concerns about the use of unregulated artificial intelligence. Formosa is a member of the negotiating group in those talks.