Hollywood’s SAG-AFTRA union has escalated its ongoing video game strike, now calling for a work stoppage on one of the industry’s most iconic titles, League of Legends. The strike was prompted by accusations that producer Formosa Interactive attempted to sidestep the union by hiring nonunion performers for a separate project via a shell company, sparking fresh tensions in the long-running labor dispute.
The union announced on Tuesday that its members should cease work on League of Legends, a multiplayer game developed by Riot Games, after Formosa Interactive, a key provider of voiceover work, allegedly “tried to subvert” the union’s ongoing strike on an unrelated game. Formosa Interactive, a division of the postproduction audio company Formosa Group, has been accused of trying to cancel one of its projects affected by the strike, only to later attempt to hire nonunion talent for the same game through a third-party entity.
SAG-AFTRA filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board in response. “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 stated.
The strike escalates a conflict that has centered on AI contract terms, with the union accusing Formosa and others of failing to agree to the fair use of AI in video game performances, terms that have already been adopted in other entertainment sectors. SAG-AFTRA national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland called the company’s actions “beyond the pale,” adding, “Formosa will be held accountable, starting with an immediate strike of League of Legends.”
Formosa Group has denied the union’s allegations, said in a statement, “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.” The company also voiced opposition to the strike against League of Legends, calling it “not appropriate” and affirming its support for ethical global game development.
Riot Games, the publisher of League of Legends, distanced itself from the situation, clarifying that it had no involvement in the dispute. “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 otherwise,” the company said.
SAG-AFTRA’s video game strike, which began on 26th July, has seen nearly two years of negotiations stall over the use of AI in video game performances. The union has targeted major companies, including Disney Character Voices, Activision Blizzard, and Electronic Arts, among others. SAG-AFTRA has encouraged developers to sign its interim or tiered-budget agreements featuring AI-related contract language, and by early September, 80 games had agreed to the union’s terms.
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