Riot Games, Inc., headquartered in West Los Angeles, California, is an American video game developer, publisher, and esports event organizer. Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill started the company in September 2006 to develop League of Legends, and it went on to develop various spin-off games as well as the unrelated first-person shooter game Valiant. Tencent, a Chinese media behemoth, bought Riot Games in 2011. Riot Forge, Riot Games’ publishing division, is in charge of overseeing the development of League of Legends spin-offs from other studios. Arcane, a television show based on the League of Legends universe, was produced in collaboration with Fortiche Production.
The League of Legends World Championship and the Valiant Champions Tour are two of Riot Games’ 14 worldwide League of Legends esports leagues. Corporate sponsorships, merchandise, and streaming rights for its leagues are all sold by the firm, which has 24 offices globally. Riot has been accused of having a toxic workplace culture, which includes gender discrimination and sexual harassment, according to complaints and lawsuits. As a result of these charges, the firm has been chastised for using forced arbitration.
“Inside Riot Games’ Sexism Culture” Is Published by Kotaku on August 7, 2018.
Cecilia D’Anastasio of Kotaku writes on misogyny in the Riot Games workplace. It’s a collection of personal accounts from 28 former and present Riot employees about the company’s “bro culture,” as described by many of these people. The study depicts a complicated situation in which employees’
treatment and experiences differ depending on their location within the organization. From institutional difficulties to more blatant individual acts of sexism, these tales cover a wide range of topics. Many other former and current Rioters, in solidarity with the sources in the Kotaku piece, shared their experiences in the hours that followed.
Riot Games’ Initial Reaction on August 7, 2018.
Joe Hixson, the chief communicator for Riot Games, issues a statement and makes a post on the League of Legends subreddit. It acknowledges that “work needs to be done,” but adds that the accounts do not reflect Riot’s work culture. Part of it reads, “
“We’re realistic about the fact that the principles and behaviors in our manifesto don’t always exactly mirror the reality of Rioters’ experiences across the Riot.” Talking over women in meetings, promoting/hiring anyone who is less deserving, and crossing the line from assertive to aggressive are three examples of activities that are plainly against our culture.
“We need to make sure all potential Rioters have an equal chance at joining our team since diverse teams and an inclusive atmosphere are the only way we can deliver meaningful and resonant experiences to people throughout the world.”
“Our First Steps Forward” Is Published by Riot Games on August 29, 2018.
“Our First Steps Forward” was published by Riot. It contains an apology to former and current Rioters, fans, and future employees, as well as information on how they plan to solve workplace culture issues.
The statement states, “Rioters have told us that the efforts we’ve done thus far aren’t adequate, and we agree.” “The problems we’re dealing with are severe, and we need to get to the bottom of them in order to effect change.” Our company’s future strength will be derived from this transition.”
Expansion of the culture, diversity, and inclusion (D&I) team is one of these measures.
Rethinking Hiring Methods and Putting More Emphasis on Internal Training
Frances Frei was hired as a senior advisor for Riot Games’ diversity and inclusion and cultural strike teams on September 12, 2018. Prior to joining Riot, Frei worked at Uber as a senior vice president of leadership and strategy, where he was part of an internal clean-up effort to restore the company’s “broken culture.”
“I’ve witnessed remarkable levels of participation on these topics across the firm in my encounters with Rioters,” says Frei in the Riot statement. “Every Rioter I’ve encountered cares deeply about inclusiveness, indicating that real change is possible.” Riot doesn’t only want to solve problems on the surface; it wants to be a leader in the industry and set an example for others to follow. I share that goal, and I’m excited to assist Riot in this endeavor.”
On the 17th of October, 2018 “we Need to Improve Our Performance.”
Jarred Kennedy and Whalen Rozelle, the heads of esports for the 2018 League of Legends World Championship, speak with ESPN about how the claims have affected the esports team.
Jarred Kennedy tells ESPN that “Riot Esports is a part of Riot.” “The last few months have been a period of reflection in which we’ve recognized that we need to improve. From the top-down, we’ve made some significant progress.”
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Rozelle’s Statements Reflect Kennedy’s, Expressing a Goal for Riot to Not only Fix Internal Problems but Also Become an Industry Leader.
“We understand that change takes time, and we’re deeply dedicated to doing the work, putting in the effort, learning, and listening to make that change happen,” Rozelle tells ESPN. “We also hope that the Riot story serves as an example of a firm that recognized its mistakes, realized it needed to reform and has since become an industry leader in encouraging diversity and inclusion.”
One present and one former Riot Games employee are suing the game’s publisher in a class-action lawsuit filed on November 5, 2018, according to Kotaku. Rosen Saba confirms to ESPN that the proposed class action describes gender-based discrimination that these individuals experienced while working for Riot and seeks monetary damages.
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Coo Scott Gelb Has Been Placed on Paid Leave as Of December 13, 2018.
Scott Gelb, the company’s chief operating officer, has been suspended without pay for two months and will be given further training, according to Kotaku. Gelb was fired after numerous current and former Riot employees said he stroked their testicles and made another inappropriate contact for humorous effect.