Video game developer Riot Games settles sexual harassment lawsuit
President Trump calls for a crackdown on the glorification of violence in video games during his speech about the shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.
Video game developer Riot Games settled a class action lawsuit alleging incidents of sexual harassment, misongyny, and gender discrimination.
The "League of Legends" creator posted about the landmark lawsuit Friday, affirming that the company takes the claims “very seriously,” and that an agreementwas made with the alleged victims.
While the company didn't disclose details of the settlement, a statement claimed the company was reassessing its culture.
Two women, Melanie McCracken and Jessica Negron, filed the lawsuit after an investigation claimed male employees pushed a "bro culture" that put "men-first." The report published by Kotaku claimed unsolicited photos of genetalia were sent among employees along with a ranked list of female coworkers based on their attractiveness.
After the announcement, the game developer said it was committed to rebuilding trust with a list of goals, hiring an independent consultant to assist in the company's culture change.
The ongoing issues within the gaming industry have recently come to light with a series of critiques from former workers who accuse the industry of mistreatment of female employees and “crunch,” a gross exploitation of workers before their burnout.
Several employees and formers employees at Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, also have a record of whistleblowing. The outrage has sparked claims of unionization and has even been highlighted in comedian Hasan Minhaj’s Netflix show “Patriot Act.”
A joint statement from the Riot Games and the counsel representing the victims, who filed the suit, described the cooperation between the two parties as “a very strong settlement agreement that provides meaningful and fair value to class members for their experiences at Riot Games.”
A group of former employees called "Rioters against Forced Arbitration" shared its support of the culture change on Twitter.