In a preliminary move, California courts have approved a $100 million settlement in a gender discrimination case involving Riot Games, which you might know via League of Legends.

A lawsuit was filed against Riot in 2018, which has bounced around over the years with twists and turns. The state DFEH (Department of Fair Employment and Housing, known for the Activision Blizzard lawsuit) rejected a $10 million settlement. Then there was a federal settlement with Activision Blizzard (which also affected the Riot lawsuit), and that’s just the tip of the iceberg, but maybe the case is coming to an end.

According to Axios, the agreement allows women who worked at Riot between November 2014 and December 2021 to benefit from the settlement, as Riot denied equal pay and created barriers to career advancement for women at the studio. Interestingly, Riot offered it at the end of 2021, but the courts sat on it for another six months.

Riot’s female employees will receive notice of the settlement during August and have until October to opt-out. The company could find itself back in court if some female workers do not see the compensation as adequate, and further lawsuits could follow. Riot has also agreed to independent oversight, with three years to evaluate human resources complaints and investigate balanced employee pay. However, the monitoring body will need the approval of Riot and DFEH. Californian judge Elihu M. Berle will be responsible for implementing the changes it proposes.

The settlement includes greater transparency around the salaries and pay scales of applicants to Riot Games and the inclusion of a woman or a member of an underrepresented community on the selection panels. Riot has made several other changes over the years. The size of the agreement is the most significant amount ever secured by California’s Department of Labor Standards Enforcement. Of it, $20 million will be used for legal costs, and the remaining $80 million will be divided among the 2,300 workers entitled to compensation. But there is also an undisclosed arbitration case, and let’s not forget the individual lawsuits over gender discrimination at Riot.

At least we can see the finish line.

Source: GameRant