Upcoming League of Legends Skins Have No Custom Voice Lines Due to Strike

In League of Legends, champions spring from the screen so vivid and alive, not just through beautiful graphics but also their rich voice lines. Just little audio clips add flavor to each match and turn a battle into a kind of story. However, the hype for future skins received an unexpected blow by the current SAG-AFTRA strike that left the players pondering what it meant for the voice lines in League of Legends that everyone was so looking forward to arriving with new skins.

The Impact of the SAG-AFTRA Strike

The SAG-AFTRA strike started July 26, 2024, after negotiations with the union representing voice actors and major video game publishers failed to agree on terms. Some of the burning issues the union is concerned with include getting some protection in the case of the use of artificial intelligence with respect to using an actor’s voice or performance. The union administration noted that they would never allow companies to exploit AI on the livelihoods of their members through contracts, now every SAG-AFTRA member is thus prohibited from contributing to and marketing games by companies placed on strike.

Riot Games has reacted to the issue by deciding on rolling out upcoming skins without custom voice lines in both League of Legends and Wild Rift, showing respect for the actors who were striking and practical considerations in development. The decision is sensible while it underlines efforts that the company is making to continue supporting its voice talent; at the same time, it points out challenges that are experienced when labor disputes intervene with the creative process. This will particularly mean for those players wishing to have new content since the availability of new visual upgrades won’t change anything, whereas the new voice lines will affect how they feel about the skins.

Details on Upcoming Skins

There are several designs in the upcoming skins set that have been very much awaited and will be released without custom voice lines. Riot Games announced that although most languages will still receive custom voice lines, English-language skins will temporarily use existing base voiceovers rather than recording new lines as the SAG-AFTRA strike continues. It further confirms that high-rarity skins will not get voice lines with this choice, but otherwise, voice lines for skins in every other language will come along with it.

Upcoming releases like Radiant Serpent Sett, the high-rarity skin with custom voice lines that will be released on January 9th, 2025, will be ready by the release date. But, future high-rarity skins are still subject to the risk of not getting new voice lines until the strike has lifted. The new lines from the original voice actors have been promised for any released skins by Riot Games once scheduling allows this, negotiations are resolved and recording can start again.

Player Feedback

The League of Legends community has had mixed reactions as news broke that Riot Games would be releasing skins without custom voice lines during the SAG-AFTRA strike. Many are disappointed about the missing voice lines, but there are also those who think it’s the key to making the industry healthier in general. Some players interpret it as a move done out of solidarity with voice actors fighting for fair compensation, and they are supporting this call. 

Conclusion

Looking at the impact that missing League of Legends voice lines would have on future skins, it is pretty evident that they are puzzle pieces to a story that makes a connection towards champions we love. It is sad when we can’t hear any new wisecracking lines during the game through our beloved characters. On the bright side, that reminds us to be their voice through the support of bringing these characters to life. Let’s not forget that Riot will definitely work on the ones we’d love once circumstance permits this in the near future.