SAG-AFTRA called a strike today against popular online game League of Legends, after a company that produces the game tried to subvert the video game strike. The union believes those actions, by the company Formosa Interactive LLC, to be a flagrant violation of labor law and has filed an unfair labor practice charge against the company with the National Labor Relations Board.
The complaint comes after Formosa tried to “cancel” one of its struck video games shortly after the start of SAG-AFTRA’s video game strike. When they were told that was not possible, the union says, they secretly transferred the game to a shell company and sent out casting notices for “NON-UNION” talent only. 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.
SAG-AFTRA’s National Executive Director, with the advice and consent of the Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee, has therefor called a strike of League of Legends, one of the company’s most high-profile games and the inspiration for the hit Netflix animated series Arcane. SAG-AFTRA members must immediately cease providing covered services to League of Legends and the game will be updated on the union’s search function as a struck game.
SAG-AFTRA notes Formosa is one of the members of the bargaining group that has refused to agree to protect our members against the unethical use of AI. Until today, League of Legends was one of several games that remained unstruck. Formosa is the union signatory and provided voiceover services to League of Legends.
“It’s bad enough that Formosa and other companies are refusing to agree to the fair AI 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. Formosa will be held accountable, starting with an immediate strike of League of Legends,” said the union’s National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.
Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee Chair Sarah Elmaleh said, “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. 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.”
UPDATE:
Riot Games, the developer-publisher behind League of Legends, issued a statement in response to SAG-AFTRA’s announcement on Tuesday afternoon:
“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 U.S. and has never once suggested doing otherwise. In addition, we’ve never asked Formosa to cancel a game that we’ve registered. All of the allegations in SAG-AFTRA’s press release relating to canceling a game or hiring non-union talent relate to a non-Riot game, and have nothing to do with League or any of our games.”
Learn more about the SAG-AFTRA interactive strike at sagaftra.org/videogamestrike.
