What you need to know
- SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) is striking League of Legends, the uber-popular MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) game from developer and publisher Riot Games.
- According to SAG-AFTRA, sound and talent production company Formosa Interactive tried to subvert the general video game strike called earlier this year.
- SAG-AFTRA is filing an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that Formosa Interactive attempted to hire non-union talent.
One of the biggest games in the world is being struck.
SAG-AFTRA is striking League of Legends, the union shared on Tuesday. In a press release, the union alleged that sound and talent production company Formosa Interactive attempted to subvert the general game strike called back in July 2024. Formosa Interactive allegedly tried to cancel a struck project. When informed this wasn't possible, the company then allegedly tried to hire non-union talent through a shell company.
As a result, SAG-AFTRA is filing an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board, as well as striking League of Legends, one of many titles that Formosa Interactive helps with. League of Legends was previously not included in the general game strike.
“It’s bad enough that Formosa and other companies are refusing to agree to the fair A.I. terms that have been agreed to by the film, television, streaming, and music industries, as well as more than 90 other game developers. To commit illegal unfair labor practices is beyond the pale and won’t be tolerated by SAG-AFTRA members. Formosa will be held accountable, starting with an immediate strike of League of Legends," said SAG-AFTRA national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.
Formosa Interactive is one of many companies that directly negotiates with SAG-AFTRA, alongside other developers, publishers, and production companies such as Activision, Blindlight, Electronic Arts, Insomniac Games, and Take-Two Interactive. SAG-AFTRA called for a general strike on new projects after failing to reach an agreement with the aforementioned companies over the ethical use of AI.
This strike comes as League of Legends and Arcane heat up
The strike's timing is particularly poignant, as the League of Legends World Championship 2024 kicks off on September 25. Meanwhile, the second and final season of Arcane, a show based on League of Legends, is set to launch on Netflix in November, with the episodes being split across three acts that each release a week apart.
🎃The best early Black Friday deals🦃
- 🕹️Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (3-months) | $31.59 at CDKeys (Save $17!)
- 💻Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge (X Elite) | $899.99 at Best Buy (Save $450!)
- 🎮Razer Wolverine V2 Chroma (Xbox & PC) | $99.99 at Amazon (Save $50!)
- 🕹️Starfield Premium Upgrade (Xbox & PC) | $27.69 at CDKeys (Save $7!)
- 💻ASUS Vivobook S 15 (X Elite) | $955 at Amazon (Save $345!)
- 🕹️Final Fantasy XVI (PC, Steam) | $43.79 at CDKeys (Save $6!)
- 💻Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon | $1,481.48 at Lenovo (Save $1,368!)
- 🎮 Seagate Xbox Series X|S Card (2TB) | $249.99 at Best Buy (Save $110!)
- 🕹️Hi-Fi RUSH (PC, Steam) | $8.49 at CDKeys (Save $22!)
- 💻HP Victus 15.6 (RTX 4050) | $599 at Walmart (Save $380!)
- 💻Seagate HDD Starfield Edition (2TB) | $79.99 at Best Buy (Save $30!)
- 🖱️Razer Basilisk V3 Wired Mouse | $44.99 at Best Buy (Save $25!)
- 🕹️Days Gone (PC, Steam) | $11.29 at CDKeys (Save $38!)
- 🖥️Lenovo ThinkStation P3 (Core i5 vPro) | $879.00 at Lenovo (Save $880!)
