Updated at 1:45 p.m. PT, September 24, with Riot Games’ statement: The Screen Actors Guild — American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has officially called a strike against League of Legends, with the union saying that a company that produces the game, Formosa Interactive LLC, tried to subvert the ongoing video game strike.
SAG-AFTRA posted a strongly worded statement on its website today, accusing Formosa of “a flagrant violation of labor law.” According to the statement, Formosa allegedly tried to “cancel” one of its struck video games after the start of the strike. When the company was told that was not possible, SAG-AFTRA says, Formosa “secretly transferred the game to a shell company and sent out casting notices for ‘NON-UNION’ talent only.”
SAG-AFTRA calls the alleged actions by Formosa “egregious violations of core tenets of labor law,” and has filed an unfair labor practice charge against the company with the National Labor Relations Board in response. Not only that, but SAG-AFTRA’s National Executive Director has called a strike against one of Formosa’s most popular titles, League of Legends, meaning all SAG-AFTRA members must cease any union-covered services they may have been providing for the game.
League of Legends publisher Riot Games, meanwhile, distanced itself from the allegations made against Formosa in a statement posted a few hours after strike was called. Riot says that, ever since League of Legends became a union project five years ago, it “has only asked Formosa to engage with Union performers in the US and has never once suggested doing otherwise.” The statement, which you can read in full below, also notes that the claims surrounding Formosa are in regard to a non-Riot game.
League of Legends has nothing to do with the complaint mentioned in SAG-AFTRA’s press release. We want to be clear: 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… https://t.co/SH4XvY1qtA
— Riot Games (@riotgames) September 24, 2024
“It’s bad enough that Formosa and other companies are 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,” SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said in the union’s statement. “To commit illegal unfair labor practices is beyond the pale and won’t be tolerated by SAG-AFTRA members. Formosa will be held accountable, starting with an immediate strike of League of Legends.”
“League of Legends is a game of champions. Instead of championing the union performers who bring their immense talent and experience to beloved characters, decision-makers at Formosa have chosen to try to evade and abandon them,” added Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee Chair Sarah Elmaleh. “Such double-dealing is very disappointing from a longtime committed union signatory. And such regrettable choices are unnecessary when our union committee and staff are as collaborative and excited to create protected work as our performers love to collaborate with game makers, and love this work.”
SAG-AFTRA called the video game strike back in July, the main reason being that video game companies have not come to an agreement with actors over regulating generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in their projects. The union notes in today’s statement that Formosa is “one of the members of the bargaining group that has refused to agree to protect our members against the unethical use of A.I.”
Some positive momentum in the strike, however, was made earlier this month after Last Sentinel developer Lightspeed LA signed SAG-AFTRA’s agreement promising better rights for actors and protections against artificial intelligence. Following that announcement, the union revealed that 80 games signed their tiered-budget or interim agreement, “proving that the union’s provisions — which include common sense A.I. protections — are fair and achievable.”
IGN has reached out to Formosa for comment. For more on the video game strike in the meantime, check out our breakdown on what it all means for gamers.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
