In a recent report, Riot Games is attempting to end two of the lawsuits it is facing over the previously mentioned misconduct through forced arbitration. While arbitration is commonly used to settle issues outside of the legal system, many view this tactic as a way to erode workers rights. Legal representatives for Riot have come out to say that the women involved in these lawsuits both agreed to arbitration terms in their contracts, but this tactic isn’t sitting well with current employees.
The lawsuit issues, combined with reports that the company behind League of Legends hasn’t delivered on all its promises to fix the studio culture, have pushed employees to organize a walkout on May 6. The organizers are also looking for the company to end all forced arbitration practices by a specific deadline.
Riot has recently come out to praise the move and its employees for standing up for what they believe in. The company intends to sit down with the group to learn more about their opinions and perspectives on the arbitration process. A bi-weekly Town Hall meeting is also planned for this week where the topic will be discussed and feedback requested.
Riot Games has seen its fair share of controversy over the years whether from within the studio directly or attempting to clean up its player base. Five years ago, Riot Games overhauled its banning system to target habitual offending players to the perceived toxic behavior. It’s a situation that has continued to evolve over the years, but these lawsuits and new reports indicate that Riot Games still has a long way to go.
Source: Variety (via Kotaku)
