The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists announced Tuesday that it is adding Riot Games’ Valorant to its list of struck games, effective immediately. SAG-AFTRA has filed a charge with the National Labor Relations Board against Formosa Interactive, alleging that the sound firm attempted to circumvent the ongoing industry-wide strike by hiring non-union talent.
More than 2,500 online game streamers launched a strike in late July, marking the culmination of nearly two years of stalled negotiations with major online gaming companies. The primary obstacle in the talks appears to be linked to safeguards for artificial intelligence, although the labor stoppage itself is not connected to AI. SAG-AFTRA accused Formosa Interactive of attempting to “cancel” one of its struck video games soon after the start of the union’s game strike, before attempting to transfer the title to a shell company to hire non-union talent.
According to data provided by a SAG-AFTRA consultant through game-feeds, the guild discovered an additional issue within the unfair labor cost calculation. Specifically, it was alleged that Formosa had transferred work to an entity called Formosa Ocean Publishers, which is not a signatory to the Interactive Media Settlement Agreement.
Formosa Interactive, LLC and Formosa Ocean Publishing share the same mailing address in California’s business registry. The former was registered in 2013, while the latter followed in 2014. SAG-AFTRA alleges that Formosa Interactive’s casting notices, labeled “non-union,” contain overly broad confidentiality provisions, prompting a dispute between the two parties. Meanwhile, Riot Games, developer of the game in question, remains uninvolved in the controversy.
“SAG-AFTRA asserts that these extreme measures constitute egregious violations of fundamental labour principles, namely that employers cannot infringe upon performers’ rights to choose their work or participate in a union, nor discriminate against union members.” “The clandestine rebranding of a union-run company into a non-union entity is a blatant attempt to circumvent strike action and undermine workers’ protected rights under labour laws.”
The places where they’re available are? Developed and revealed by Riot Games, the company outsources its voiceover work to Formosa Interactive, a common practice among major firms. One notable project for Formosa Interactive involves providing voiceover and sound design services for various video games, including , , , , , and . The studio’s most significant ongoing collaboration is with the game, which marks its first major project. Throughout, ongoing development of service-based video games initiated before August will continue uninterrupted. Prior to 2020, 25 was generally acceptable for online gamers to perform in, exempting video games developed by companies that individually ratified the updated Interactive Media Settlement Agreement. Launched well before August, Twenty-five days had passed since then, with no sign of dishonesty, until this very Tuesday.
Riot Games is not directly involved in the controversy surrounding League of Legends, except for their reliance on Formosa Interactive for voiceover services. As a notable client, As an alternative, was selected by Formosa Interactive as one of their top clients – likely still seeking voice actors for future projects. The strike’s immediate impact won’t be felt; game production typically takes place well before a title’s release date. However, this mobile game is designed to receive frequent updates featuring fresh character voice lines and cinematic cutscenes, potentially followed by cinematic-style character skins and voice packs at a later stage.
The consultant proposed that game-feeds would benefit from his insight.
The critique leveled by SAG-AFTRA in their press release bears no relation whatsoever to League of Legends. Clear expectations are essential: For the past five years since becoming a union, League of Legends has consistently required Formosa to collaborate only with Union performers based in the US and has never suggested otherwise. We have never asked Formosa to cancel a game that we have registered for. The allegations in SAG-AFTRA’s press release concerning the cancellation of a game or engagement of non-union talent are entirely unrelated to Riot Games and pertain solely to a different studio, not involving any of our own titles.
Notably, the World Championship 2024 is scheduled to begin on a Wednesday. The worlds of professional sports’ esports scene are on full display, spanning across major cities like London, Paris, and Berlin over a period exceeding a month. While voice actors typically remain unfazed by external circumstances, their involvement in planning was always an exception – unfortunately, their participation would be compromised if strike protocols were enforced.
GameFeeds has extended requests for additional information to SAG-AFTRA, Formosa Interactive, and Riot Games, seeking further clarification on specific matters.
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The story has been updated to reflect recent developments, including particulars from SAG-AFTRA’s unfair labor practices and a statement from Riot Games.
