More females are playing video games than ever before. According to a Forbes study, women make up 41% of gamers in the United States. The percentage is even higher in Asia, with females making up 48% of players.
Many women have also taken jobs in the gaming industry. Unfortunately, there have been several stories of women being treated differently in these companies than their male counterparts.
In 2018, Kotaku investigated Riot Games, the company behind League of Legends. A number of former current and former employees alleged sexual harassment and gender discrimination. Following a class-action lawsuit, the company is now paying out $100 million.
A spokesperson for Riot Games told Game Informer, “Three years ago, Riot was at the heart of what became a reckoning in our industry. We had to face the fact that despite our best intentions, we hadn’t always lived up to our values. As a company we stood at a crossroads; we could deny the shortcomings of our culture, or we could apologize, correct course, and build a better Riot. We chose the latter.”
“he statement continued, “While we’re proud of how far we’ve come since 2018, we must also take responsibility for the past. We hope that this settlement properly acknowledges those who had negative experiences at Riot and demonstrates our desire to lead by example in bringing more accountability and equality to the games industry.”
Riot is one of many companies that have been accused of sexual harassment and unequal treatment. And this is likely the first of many suits to be settled.
