SAG-AFTRA calls for a strike against League of Legends

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is very present in the video games industry. The lack of regulation and the concerns about companies having the ability to train AI to replicate an actor’s voice, or create a digital replica of their likeness, without consent or fair compensation, brought many workers to the streets, now on a strike against video games.

Why are League of Legends and Riot Games directly involved?

Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, known as SAG-AFTRA, is an American union representing approximately 160,000 media professionals around the world. You might remember the 2023 strike in Hollywood involving writers that delayed the production of various movies.

One of the main reasons for this strike was the changes in the industry caused by streaming and its effect on residuals, as well as other new technologies like AI and digital recreation.

You are probably confused about the relationship with League of Legends. The workers' union is accusing Formosa Interactive of attempting to get around the ongoing video game strike by hiring non-union actors to work on an unrelated union title.

Formosa Interactive, a company specializing in sound design, music, and voice-over, has allegedly tried to cancel the unnamed video game, which was covered by the strike, shortly after the start of the work stoppage.

Since that was an unfair labor practice charge, the sound company “secretly transferred the game to a shell company and sent out casting notices for ‘non-union’ talent only.”

League of Legends is one of Formosa’s most well-known projects. The company provides voiceover services for the game, according to SAG-AFTRA, which motivated the strike against the video game.

Shortly after the press release got out, Riot Games answered the claims on X. The company assures that "League of Legends has nothing to do with the complaint mentioned in SAG-AFTRA’s press release." Riot guarantees that no game registered by them was canceled.

There's no information on possible constraints on League of Legends Worlds 2024 or in future updates of the game.

SAG-AFTRA has yet to address the Riot Games' response. That's all for now, stick around for more updates on this question in esports.gg!