In a discrimination lawsuit, Riot Games, the studio behind League of Legends, has reached a settlement with the plaintiffs. Part of the agreement: Riot pays at least $10 million from a fund to all women who have worked at Riot in the last 5 years. The background is a sexism scandal, that shook the LoL studio in 2018.
What was this lawsuit about? In November 2018, two women sued Riot Games, who worked at the Los Angeles studio. This was a class action lawsuit.
They said they were treated unfairly and discriminated against because of their gender. They received less money than men, and their careers were hindered because they were women.
The details of the lawsuit included, among other things:
- one employee took on more tasks but was not paid better
- male employees were preferred for promotions
- one employee counted: she heard the word “dick” 500 times a month
- stories about bosses in a nightclub in Shanghai
- personal conflicts with chauvinistic superiors
This is the background: The lawsuit arose after the US site Kotaku (via Kotaku) revealed in an insider report in July 2018 that there is a macho culture at Riot Games, a so-called “Bro-Culture”:
- Managers supposedly kept a “Hot Girl” list of women they found attractive
- Images of male genitalia were circulated
- Women were reportedly paid less, and they had fewer opportunities for advancement than men
- there was generally a misogynistic culture
This report received a lot of attention at the time and led to some employees of Riot Games speaking out publicly and denouncing this “Bro-Culture”.
As a result, there were further issues and turmoil at Riot Games. The topic noticeably occupied the company.
About 1000 women to receive money from $10 million fund
How will the millions be distributed? Riot Games announced in August 2019 that they have reached an agreement with the plaintiffs. It has now been revealed from court documents what the settlement includes.
It is said that Riot Games will establish a fund of $10 million. This will be distributed among all women who have worked at Riot Games in the last 5 years.
This includes about 1000 women who have been employed by the LoL developer since November 2014. Anyone who identifies as a woman will receive a portion of this amount, depending on how long they have worked for Riot.
This is Riot’s statement: They say they are pleased to have proposed this settlement to fully conclude the class action lawsuit. The agreement is an important step forward. It shows that Riot Games is committed to aligning with its own values and creating an inclusive environment for the best people in the gaming industry.
After the scandal report in July 2018, Riot Games took significant steps to change the company culture. Apparently, it was primarily the “headquarters” in the USA that was affected by this “Bro-Culture”.
For instance, Riot Games has hired a diversity and inclusion expert.
