‘League of Legends’ Added to Actors’ Video Game Strike as SAG-AFTRA Accuses Producer Formosa Interactive of Unfair Labor Practices
variety.comJennifer Maas TV Business Writer After previously being exempt from inclusion in the ongoing video game actors strike, Riot Games‘ massively multiplayer online role-playing game “League of Legends” has been added to the list of blocked titles by SAG-AFTRA amid the union’s accusation of unfair labor practices against Formosa Interactive.
According to SAG-AFTRA, Formosa, a union signatory that provides voiceover services for “League of Legends,” is accused of trying to “cancel” one of its struck video games “shortly after the start of SAG-AFTRA’s video game strike” July 26.
SAG-AFTRA has filed a charge against the company with the National Labor Relations Board. “When they were told that was not possible, they secretly transferred the game to a shell company and sent out casting notices for ‘NON-UNION’ talent only,” the union said. “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 unilateral and surreptitious transfer of union work to a ‘non-union’ shell company is an impermissible and appalling attempt to evade a strike action and destroy performers’ rights under labor law.” Representatives for Formosa Interactive and “League of Legends” publisher Riot Games did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.
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