LOS ANGELES — ''League of Legends'' is caught in the middle of a dispute between Hollywood's actors union 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 ''League of Legends'' on Tuesday, arguing that Formosa Interactive attempted to get around the ongoing video game strike by hiring non-union actors to work on an unrelated title.
Formosa tried to ''cancel'' the unnamed video game, which was covered by the strike, shortly after the start of the work stoppage, SAG-AFTRA said. The union said when Formosa learned it could not cancel the game, the company ''secretly transferred the game to a shell company and sent out casting notices for ‘non-union' talent only.'' 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 ''League of Legends'' as part of that charge.
''It's 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,'' said the union's national executive director, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. ''To commit illegal unfair labor practices is beyond the pale and won't be tolerated by SAG-AFTRA members.''
''League of Legends'' is one of Formosa's 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 — a move the union called ''egregious violations of core tenets of labor law.''
Formosa rejected the union's allegations and said the company has not ''acted in any manner to undermine employee or union rights, nor our relationship with the union.''
''We believe the strike of ‘League of Legends,' a game unrelated to the union's claims, is not appropriate,'' said Paul Lipson, senior vice president of Formosa Group. ''We stand with developers, publishers, platform holders and talent to support global game development in a way that is safe and ethical for all.''