"Riot Games to pay $100m in discrimination case", 28 Dec 2021

Riot Games, the studio best known for League of Legends, has agreed to pay $100m (£74.3m) to settle a 2018 class-action gender discrimination case.

The settlement will "remedy violations against approximately 1,065 women employees and 1,300 women contract workers", California's Department of Fair Employment & Housing (DFEH) wrote.

DFEH said the firm engaged in "systemic sex discrimination and harassment".

Riot Games said it must "take responsibility for the past".

The company will pay $80m (£59m) to members of the class action suit and about $20m (£15m) will cover legal costs...

According to the original complaint against the company, Riot was accused of fostering a "bro culture" and faced a range of allegations.

These included that women had been sexually objectified, with an email chain that rated the company's "hottest women employees", and that unsolicited images of male genitalia had been shown to workers by their bosses and colleagues.

As part of the settlement, Riot agreed to workplace reforms, independent expert analysis of its pay, hiring, and promotion practices, and to be monitored for instances of sexual harassment and "retaliation" at its California offices for three years.

The company must also set aside $18m (13.2m) to fund diversity, equity and inclusion programmes and create 40 full-time positions in engineering, quality assurance or art-design roles for its former contract workers.

DFEH Director Kevin Kish wrote that, if accepted by the court, the settlement would lead to lasting change at Riot Games and "send the message that all industries in California, including the gaming industry, must provide equal pay and workplaces free from discrimination and harassment"...