A California judge has approved a settlement worth $100 million between Riot Games and women who sued the publisher in 2018 over gender-based discrimination, according to an Axios report.
The nine-figure settlement, which had been reached in December 2021, required court approval. The women eligible to receive the settlement—more than 2,000 full-time employees and temporary contractors who did work for Riot from November 2014 to now—will be notified by the end of August. They will collectively be able to receive $80 million of the settlement, while the remaining $20 million will go toward attorneys’ fees and other areas of the proceedings. Additionally, Riot agreed to be monitored for three years by an independent organization.
In the lawsuit, “McCracken vs Riot Games”, female employees of Riot alleged they were victims of gender discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace, including unwanted advances and being passed over for jobs. Riot attempted to settle for $10 million in 2019 before the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) claimed the women could deserve more than $400 million. Riot said that amount was “bogus” and “not grounded in fact or any reasonable analysis.”
While $100 million doesn’t exactly fall in the middle of those figures, it appears Riot will be paying the price for alleged discrimination and sexual misconduct that has become public with increasing frequency. Activision Blizzard was accused of fostering a “frat boy” culture, which led to a 2021 lawsuit in which women at the company alleged they were victims of sexual harassment, unequal pay, and retaliation.
