Riot Games settles class action alleging harassment and discrimination

League of Legends developers Riot Games settled a class action brought by employees who claimed to have been harassed and discriminated against while working for the company.

The suit was opened in November 2018 and alleged that the workers were victims of sexism and harassment and that the company was also in violation of California's Equal Pay Act.

The lawsuit was filed as a result of a Kotaku report dating from August 2018, detailing the culture within the company, with several current and former employees sharing their experiences.

Riot announced that they had agreed to a settlement, which still needs to be approved by the court. None of the parties disclosed the details of the settlement.

Riot's general manager, Nicolo Laurent, commented on the deal in a statement:

"We are grateful to all the rioters who have expressed their concerns and believe that this resolution is fair to everyone involved. With this agreement, we honor our commitment to find the most expedient and fastest way for all rioters, and the riot, to go ahead and heal. Over the past year, we have made significant progress in evolving our culture and will continue to pursue this work, while striving to be the most inclusive society in gaming. "

Ryan Saba of Rosen Saba, LLP, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs, also stated:

"This is a very solid agreement that gives members of the group fair and meaningful value for their experience at Riot Games." This clearly shows that Riot is committed to advancing the evolution of its culture and its employment practices.Many important changes the company culture has been created, including increased transparency and diversity programs and inclusion in the forefront of business. The many Riot employees who spoke, including the complainants, have made a significant contribution to changing Riot's culture. "

This is not the only lawsuit brought against Riot Games, two individual employees having also filed suit for unfair dismissal and sexual harassment at the end of 2018. Riot's attempts to force arbitration in these cases were thwarted, with employees going out in protest in May 2019.

Riot did not yield to the pressures on current cases and in July the court decided to allow forced arbitration in one of them. The request to bring the other case before the court rather than through arbitration is still under discussion.

The walkout organizers also made a declaration as regards the announcement of the regulation.

"The settlement of this class action is a victory for women in games. We believe this and Riot's policy changes are helping to continue the equity progress we have made over the past year, "the statement said." This decision was made because of the hard work of Not only the plaintiffs and their lawyers, but also all Riot employees who have the courage to fight injustices in the workplace, we are proud to work with everyone who has collectively contributed to this goal. "

Riot is committed to taking steps to improve the culture within the company and solve the problems that have come to light over the past year, and recently took stock of progress made.