Riot Games Settles Harassment And Gender Discrimination Class-Action Suit
Last November, Tencent subsidiary Riot Games was slapped with a class-action suit filed by employees over alleged sexual harassment and gender discrimination within the Los Angeles-based studio. The lawsuit accused Riot and its mostly male employees of inappropriate behavior including “crotch-grabbing, phantom humping, and sending unsolicited and unwelcome pictures of male genitalia.”
In addition, the lawsuit also alleged that the studio responded to female employees’ complaints with “denied promotions, refusals to provide increased compensation or equal pay, demotions, reassignment with significantly different responsibilities, losses of benefits, suspensions, terminations, and other adverse employment actions.”
It appears that the legal proceedings are finally coming to an end. LA Times reports that, both parties have agreed to settle the case, the details of which have not been released, and have yet to be approved by the court.
“We are grateful for every Rioter who has come forward with their concerns and believe this resolution is fair for everyone involved,” said Riot Games CEO Nicolo Laurent in a statement on the studio’s website. “With this agreement, we are honoring our commitment to find the best and most expedient 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.”
“Settling this class action is a victory for women in games,” tweeted the Rioters Against Forced Arbitration labor rights group. “We believe that this and Riot’s policy chances help continue the progress towards equity that we’ve made over the past year. 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 not covered in this suit.”
Kotaku first brought attention to the studio’s “bro culture” with an article exposing the harassment, discrimination, and inappropriate behavior that female employees had to endure during the course of their jobs. The article prompted other employees to speak up about their own experiences and eventually file suit.
