UPDATED: SAG-AFTRA Now Striking Against League Of Legends Following Alleged Attempt By Formosa To Subvert Ongoing Video Game Strike

SAG-AFTRA has called a strike against League of Legends in response to production company Formosa attempting to get around the current video game strike that began in July. According to the announcement on the SAG-AFTRA site, Formosa Interactive, one of the companies included in the general strike, tried to “cancel” one of the games impacted by the strike. When that didn’t work, SAG states the game was transferred to a shell company that sought “non-union” voice actors exclusively to work on the game.

While it might seem a little odd for SAG to be striking against League of Legends specifically, there is a logical reason. Formosa is the production company for the MOBA. Many video game companies rely on production companies like Formosa to provide their voice actors for them. Obviously, Riot would be a larger client.

Despite this, League was not one of the games on SAG-AFTRA’s list of struck games. This is due to the fact that games in development prior to September 2023 are exempt from the strike. Unless the company associated with said game tries to pull shenanigans, it would seem.

UPDATE 9/25:

Yesterday, Riot Games responded to a tweet about the newly announced strike stating that “League of Legends has nothing to do with the complaint mentioned in SAG-AFTRA’s press release.” It goes on to say that “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” and that the company “never asked Formosa to cancel a game that [its] registered”, that “all of the allegations in SAG-AFTRA’s press release relating to canceling a game or hiring non-union talent related to a non-Riot game, and have nothing to do with League of Legends”.

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 worth noting that SAG never stated that the game in question was League of Legends or one of Riots other games, but as Space Ghost noted in her reply to Riot’s tweet, the developer is one of Formosa’s biggest vendors. Adding League to the list of striked games will definitely hurt the production company.

You’re a massive vendor for Formosa. The company wouldn’t exist without your funding. Being included as a strike target is on YOU for not vetting your vendors for proper union practices. You failed to vet this vendor because your support for union workers isn’t sincere.

— Space Ghost (@spaceghost) September 25, 2024