Riot Games Promises $50K And Support For Winners Of Its Online Inclusivity Design Challenge
Riot Games isn’t exactly the first video game company that comes to mind when you think about inclusivity. In fact, it’s even come under fire several times over the past few years for its toxic office culture including a bombshell of an expose that exposed rampant sexual harassment and discrimination within its walls.
The company, however, is looking to show the online community that it’s changed for the better by sponsoring a design challenge, in cooperation with non-profit organization IDEO, with the goal of creating healthy and inclusive online spaces. The “Designing for Digital Thriving Challenge” is open to participants from all over the world and will focus on three key ideas: “Designing for Marginalized Voices,” “Fostering Healthy and Resilient Digital Spaces,” and “Building a Future for Kids and Families.”
“The winning submissions will receive funding and support from IDEO and Riot Games to help implement their ideas in hopes of establishing digital thriving as a high watermark for the industry as a whole. Winners will be announced in late November 2022,” Riot announced.
IDEO further explained that the challenge is open to people from various fields and not just the video game industry.
“You may be a gamer reimagining a better experience for yourself and your friends, a community moderator who’s seen it all, a mental health expert with an understanding of the impact of digital engagement, a designer or developer who’s looking for mentorship to help amplify your voice and bring your idea to life, a parent who thinks about the safety of their child online or even an industry outsider who has a fresh perspective on how to redefine what good looks like online,” IDEO said.
“The primary participant submitting the proposal must be at least 18 years old. We especially invite participation from underrepresented populations in the gaming or digital design industry, including people of color, people who identify as women or non-binary, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. This is a purposefully open invitation. We’re casting the net wide to capture ideas at every stage, of any scale, from around the world,” the organization added.
The deadline for submissions is on November 1st with a $50,000 cash prize up for grabs for each of the winners.
