Riot Games to settle class action lawsuit over gender discrimination and sexual harassment

Riot Games is to settle a class action lawsuit brought against the company over alleged gender discrimination and sexual harassment.

While the proposed agreement between Riot and the plaintiffs still requires court approval, details of the settlement were announced on the League of Legends publisher’s website.

“This is a very strong settlement agreement that provides meaningful and fair value to class members for their experiences at Riot Games,” said Ryan Saba, the attorney representing the plaintiffs. “This is a clear indication that Riot is dedicated to making progress in evolving its culture and employment practices.

“A number of significant changes to the corporate culture have been made, including increased transparency and industry-leading diversity and inclusion programs. The many Riot employees who spoke up, including the plaintiffs, significantly helped to change the culture at Riot.”

Kotaku published a detailed investigation into Riot’s allegedly toxic workplace culture last year, leading to a public apology from the company and a commitment to change its cultural DNA.

Riot Games CEO Nicolo Laurent commented on the settlement: “We are grateful for every Rioter who has come forward with their concerns and believe this resolution is fair for everyone involved.

“With this agreement, we are honoring our commitment to find the best and most expeditious way for all Rioters, and Riot, to move forward and heal.

“Over the past year, we’ve made substantial progress toward evolving our culture and will continue to pursue this work as we strive to be the most inclusive company in gaming.”

Hundreds of Riot Games staff staged a walkout at the publisher’s Los Angeles headquarters in May, in protest of the company’s forced arbitration policies, which prevent some employees from taking sexual harassment and assault claims to court.

A statement from Rioters Against Forced Arbitration called this week’s settlement “a victory for women in games”, although it noted that other suits that went into arbitration are still pending.

“While this settlement helps bring peace of mind to women at Riot, we want to acknowledge that issues of discrimination and harassment go beyond gender, and acknowledge the victims who aren’t covered in this suit,” it read.

“This settlement is an important step on the journey of making the games industry a more diverse and welcoming place, but the fight is far from over. Making Riot – and the entire industry – more inclusive is an ongoing process, and we are excited to see this big step in the right direction.”