LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� 鈥淟eague of Legends鈥� is caught in the middle of a dispute between and an audio company that provides voiceover services for the blockbuster online multiplayer game.
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists called a strike against 鈥淟eague of Legends鈥� on Tuesday, arguing that Formosa Interactive attempted to get around the ongoing by hiring non-union actors to work on an unrelated title.
Formosa tried to 鈥渃ancel鈥� the unnamed video game, which was covered by the strike, shortly after the start of , SAG-AFTRA said. The union said when Formosa learned it could not cancel the game, the company 鈥渟ecretly transferred the game to a shell company and sent out casting notices for 鈥榥on-union鈥� talent only.鈥� In response, the union's interactive negotiating committee voted unanimously to file an unfair labor practice charge against the company with the National Labor Relations Board and to call a strike against 鈥淟eague of Legends鈥� as part of that charge.
鈥淚t鈥檚 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,鈥� said the union鈥檚 national executive director, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. 鈥淭o commit illegal unfair labor practices is beyond the pale and won鈥檛 be tolerated by SAG-AFTRA members.鈥�
鈥淟eague of Legends鈥� is one of Formosa鈥檚 most well-known projects. The company provides voiceover services for the game, according to SAG-AFTRA.
SAG-AFTRA has accused Formosa of interfering with protections that allow performers to form or join a union and prevent those performers from being discriminated against 鈥� a move the union called 鈥渆gregious violations of core tenets of labor law.鈥�
Formosa rejected the union's allegations and said the company has not 鈥渁cted in any manner to undermine employee or union rights, nor our relationship with the union.鈥�
鈥淲e believe the strike of 鈥楲eague of Legends,鈥� a game unrelated to the union鈥檚 claims, is not appropriate,鈥� said Paul Lipson, senior vice president of Formosa Group. 鈥淲e stand with developers, publishers, platform holders and talent to support global game development in a way that is safe and ethical for all.鈥�
The strike comes as the video games industry struggles with both softer demand and a tougher supply-side environment, which means game publishers face growing risks as they increasingly rely on outside contractors, said Joost van Dreunen, author of "One Up: Creativity, Competition, and the Global Business of Video Games.鈥�
This year's record game industry layoffs, he added, lead to more companies outsourcing work to firms like Formosa, 鈥渨hich raises concerns about potential damage to reputations if these partners act unethically.鈥�
鈥淓ven companies with strong reputations, like Riot Games鈥攚hich is not at fault here鈥攕ee their risks rise due to their partners鈥� actions,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t forces publishers to ensure all their partners meet ethical standards to protect their brands.鈥�
鈥淟eague of Legends鈥� developer Riot Games said that the company 鈥渉as nothing to do鈥� with the union鈥檚 complaint.
鈥淲e want to be clear: Since becoming a union project five years ago, 鈥楲eague of Legends鈥� has only asked Formosa to engage with union performers in the U.S. and has never once suggested doing otherwise,鈥� Riot said in an emailed statement. 鈥淚n addition, we鈥檝e never asked Formosa to cancel a game that we鈥檝e registered.鈥�
SAG-AFTRA鈥檚 allegations are related to a non-Riot game, the game publisher said.
The union said members must immediately stop providing covered services to 鈥淟eague of Legends." Until Tuesday, the game was one of several titles that remained unstruck. Formosa is a union signatory.
鈥淟eague 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," said Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee Chair Sarah Elmaleh. 鈥淪uch double-dealing is very disappointing from a longtime committed union signatory.鈥�
SAG-AFTRA called a strike against major game companies in July after more than a year of negotiations around the union鈥檚 interactive media agreement around the use of . Formosa is a member of the bargaining group in those talks.
Sarah Parvini, The Associated Press
