Riot Games to Pay 2,000 Former and Current Female Employees $80M Over Gender Discrimination
Riot Games, publisher of the popular League of Legends video game,
will pay $100 million to settle a discrimination and harassment case
Video game publisher Riot Games will pay $100 million to settle a gender discrimination and harassment case in California, pending approval by the court.
On Monday, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing announced that Riot Games — publisher of the popular League of Legends video game — will pay at least $80 million to more than 2,000 former and current employees who identify as female to settle the class-action lawsuit brought against the Los Angeles-based company in 2018.
"This historic agreement reflects California's commitment to strategic and effective government enforcement of the State's robust equal-pay, anti-discrimination, and anti-harassment laws," DFEH director Kevin Kish said in a statement.
"If entered by the court, this decree will compensate employees and contractors affected by sex discrimination and harassment, ensure lasting change in this workplace, and send the message that all industries in California, including the gaming industry, must provide equal pay and workplaces free from discrimination and harassment," he added.
In August 2018, video game news website Kotaku published a report on Riot Games that alleged sexism and a "bro culture" that made it near impossible for women to enter leadership roles at the company. It also alleged an interview process some female job candidates went through that sought to prove they played video games and fit into the company's culture.
"I hear people comparing two candidates of different genders, and both the candidates can be of the same caliber, and interview the same way, but be described differently," one woman told the outlet.
Three months after the report's publication, a group of former employees launched their lawsuit against the company, USA Today reported.
With $80 million of their $100 million settlement going to former and current employees, the remaining $20 million will be used for legal fees and other expenses, Riot Games said in a statement.
"While we're proud of how far we've come since 2018, we must also take responsibility for the past," the company said in part on Tuesday, following the agreement.
"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," Riot Games' statement continued.
According to the New York Times, it originally appeared the company would pay a $10 million settlement, but the DFEH and Division of Labor Standards Enforcement agencies intervened in 2020 and argued the company should pay over $400 million.
Riot Games is owned by Tencent, the Chinese Internet-based platform company.
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