League of Legends developer Riot Games will pay “at least $ 10 million to women who have worked for Riot Games over the past five years,” the Los Angeles Times reported today. The payout is part of a lawsuit against gender discrimination filed in November 2018 after Kotaku investigated the sexist culture of the company.
Two employees of Riot Games, a current and a former, filed the lawsuit to seek unpaid wages, damages and other penalties. The former employees said Riot Games violated the California Equal Pay Act. Riot Games announced the settlement in August, but the settlement, which has yet to be approved by the court, was filed today.
According to Kotaku, about 1,000 female employees are entitled to a US $ 10 million payout, depending on “tenure, duration and status”.
“In the end, we’re glad we filed this case and came one step closer to settling the case for those involved,” a spokesman for Riot said in a statement to Polygon. “We hope this demonstrates our commitment to our values and to make Riot an inclusive environment for the best talent in the industry.”
The lawsuit was filed in 2018 following Kotaku’s damning report on the company’s sexist “Bro culture.” The plaintiffs alleged that sexists were widespread in the company, creating a “men’s first” environment where harassment was normal. Women were also reportedly punished for voting on these issues.
The settlement also includes Riot’s proposed company engagement commitments, many of which were outlined in a 2019 blog post by Angela Roseboro, Chief Diversity Officer.
