Riot Games has responded to the latest development in its ongoing lawsuit against gender discrimination. The plaintiffs’ new legal counsel previously withdrew from its preliminary $10 million settlement last December.
In a statement to GameDaily, the League of Legends developer acknowledged the new legal counsel required additional time to review the preliminary agreement. Riot also mentioned its “commitment to the transformative journey we’ve been on for the past 18 months.”
Riot believed that its initial settlement was “fair and adequate” under the circumstances. The developer said that the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing’s asserted sum, who previously said that the plaintiffs deserved $400 million, had “no basis in fact or reason that would justify that level of exposure.”
Riot said that it has remained hard at work to improve the company’s adherence to its values and that it will “defend [themselves] against false narratives and unfair claims.”
The plaintiffs in the case have found new legal counsel in two attorneys specializing in sexual harassment, employment, and personal injury cases. The lawyers have stated their intent to “make sure [the women] are fairly compensated.”
As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the class-action lawsuit means that damages will be paid to the approximately 1,000 women who worked at Riot since November 2014. The payout will differ according to their employment status and length of employment.
The lawsuit is just the latest step in demanding accountability from the developer. Cecilia D’Anastasio’s article on Kotaku was one of the first damning exposés on Riot that brought to light the company’s “bro culture” and systemic sexism against women.
The full statement from Riot can be found here.
