![]() “Your voice matters and together we can make this industry safer and more inclusive for everyone.Riot Games had something new and shiny to show off today for League Of Legends as they revealed the 2021 World Champion rings. “To the rest of our industry, keep speaking up and keep pushing for accountability,” Riot employee Gina Cruz Rivera said via a statement through lawyers. In the midst of these allegations, worker solidarity has seen an increase, in the form of walkouts, strikes, unionization, and other actions. But it’s not just the industry’s biggest players smaller studios, like Gone Home developer Fullbright and Season developer Scavengers Studio, have also faced similar accusations. Activision Blizzard, for its part, faced multiple lawsuits following its own DFEH investigation. Large studios like Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft, and Sony Interactive Entertainment have all been accused of gender- and/or race-based discrimination. The video games industry is still in the midst of its “reckoning” with sexism and workplace misconduct. This case is ongoing, though Riot disputes the wrongful termination allegation, and has since cleared Laurent of any wrongdoing. In it, O’Donnell alleged that CEO Nicolo Laurent had her fired after she reported him to human resources. We hope that this settlement properly acknowledges those who had negative experiences at Riot and demonstrates our desire to lead by example in bringing more accountability and equality to the games industry.Ī second gender discrimination and wrongful termination lawsuit was filed in 2021 by former Riot executive assistant Sharon O’Donnell. While we’re proud of how far we’ve come since 2018, we must also take responsibility for the past. We’re incredibly grateful to every Rioter who has worked to create a culture where inclusivity is the norm, where we’re deeply committed to fairness and equality, and where embracing diversity fuels creativity and innovation. As a company we stood at a crossroads we could deny the shortcomings of our culture, or we could apologize, correct course, and build a better Riot. We had to face the fact that despite our best intentions, we hadn’t always lived up to our values. Three years ago, Riot was at the heart of what became a reckoning in our industry. Women in gaming do not have to suffer inequity and harassment in silence - change is possible.”Ī Riot representative said in news release that it hopes to “lead by example in bringing more accountability and equality to the games industry.” Here is Riot’s full statement: “I hope this case serves as an example for other studios and an inspiration for women in the industry at large. “I am so glad we achieved this first step toward justice for the women of Riot Games,” Negrón said. Riot also agreed to create a $6 million fund for each of those three years, for a total of $18 million, to fund diversity initiatives and to adjust pay for equity. I’m grateful to the other Riot women who stood up alongside me and to all the Rioters who supported our efforts to achieve equal pay and fair treatment for women.”Īlongside the $100 million payout, Riot agreed to “substantial systemic changes,” which include a “gender equity analysis,” performed by an independent expert, of pay, promotions, and assignments for three years. “It takes bravery to come forward with a loud message about oppression and pain, but the right people hear it and will help. “In the battle for equality, announcing one’s truth is the singularity that changes everything,” former Riot artist Gabriela Downie said. The rest of the settlement, $20 million, will be paid as attorney fees and “miscellaneous expenses,” Riot said. At least 2,365 are eligible to receive a part of the settlement, DFEH said, including contracted workers. The majority of the settlement - $80 million - will go to women who either currently or formerly worked for Riot since November 2014. The original lawsuit was filed in 2018 by former Riot employees Melanie McCracken and Jes Negrón, following a Kotaku report that detailed widespread sexism and gender-based discrimination within the company. ![]() The two state agencies instead argued Riot should pay up to $400 million for its labor violations. Riot was originally ordered in 2019 to pay $10 million to the thousands of class members when California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) stepped in, alongside the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), to oppose the settlement. The settlement is 10 times what the company originally agreed to pay. Riot Games, the video games developer behind League of Legends, will pay $100 million to settle a class-action gender-discrimination lawsuit, the company announced Monday.
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