League Of Legends Studio Rocked By Gender Discrimination Lawsuit
League of Legends is undoubtedly regarded as a major success story in the world of gaming, so much so that a documentary was recently underway chronicling the rise of publisher Riot Games. However, the studio’s existence hasn’t been entirely devoid of controversy, with the last year specifically being rocked with allegations of gender discrimination from several former employees.
Revealed in an exposé back in August, Kotaku comprehensively uncovered a “men first” culture over at Riot, with female workers laying down claims of sexual harassment and unfair refusal of opportunities in favor of their male counterparts. Three months have elapsed since this initial discovery went public and has now resulted in the filing of a fully-fledged lawsuit.
A report once again arriving from Kotaku provides numerous details behind the high-profile legal proceedings. The filling itself originates from one current and one former member of Riot Games, Melanie McCracken and Jessica Negron respectively. The two plaintiffs cite the studio’s violation of California’s Equal Pay Act, a law designed to halt gender-based workplace discrimination to afford opportunities for all types of people. An excerpt from the complaint states:
Like many of Riot Games’ female employees, Plaintiffs have been denied equal pay and found their careers stifled because they are women. Moreover, Plaintiffs have also seen their working conditions negatively impacted because of the ongoing sexual harassment, misconduct, and bias which predominate the sexually-hostile working environment of Riot Games.”
During her time at the League of Legends studio, Negron herself alleges she encountered numerous instances of unfair treatment, namely the assignment of extra duties without receiving proper compensation. McCracken also disclosed a similarly troubling story, asserting superiors would not only gloss over her grievances but also reportedly undermine her ambition to move ahead in the company.
The filing of this lawsuit was said have an ultimate goal of discouraging further discrimination and toxicity from Riot Games. Specifically cited was for the developer to stop “creating, encouraging, and maintaining a work environment that exposes its female employees to discrimination, harassment, and retaliation on the basis of their gender or sex.”
Riot Games have since responded to the legal ordeal with a statement addressing the new lawsuit. The company proceeded to profess their commitment to improving company culture but also their reluctance to comment on ongoing legal information.
While we do not discuss the details of ongoing litigation, we can say that we take every allegation of this nature seriously and investigate them thoroughly. We remain committed to a deep and comprehensive evolution of our culture to ensure Riot is a place where all Rioters thrive.”
What do you think? Do you believe this lawsuit will hold the League of Legends developer accountable for their misdeeds? Let us know in the comments below qande be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more of the latest news from DFTG, check out these next few headlines:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
