SAG-AFTRA has initiated a strike against League of Legends, instructing union voice actors to stop working on the game. The union also filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against Formosa Interactive, the company responsible for providing voiceover services for League of Legends.
According to the union, Formosa allegedly attempted to cancel a game involved in the strike and secretly transferred the game to a shell company to seek non-union talent, violating labor laws. This is part of a broader conflict involving protections against AI replicas of voice actors in video games.
Formosa Interactive, a prominent player in the industry, provides services beyond voiceover work, including facial capture and sound design for major games like God of War Ragnarok, Apex Legends, and Genshin Impact. Earlier this year, the company was also named in a separate strike by voice acting talent.
In response, Riot Games, the developer of League of Legends, distanced itself from the claims. The company stated that League of Legends has adhered to union standards since becoming a union project five years ago, using only union performers in the US. Riot further clarified that the allegations against Formosa, specifically relating to canceling a game or hiring non-union actors, do not pertain to League of Legends or any of Riot’s games.
