In May 2023, a Los Angeles Superior Court gave final approval to a $100 million consent decree resolving California employment and civil-rights claims against Riot Games. The decree set aside $80 million for worker compensation and required workplace reforms and independent monitoring. It resolved allegations; a trial did not determine that Riot was liable.
What was the Riot Games $100 million settlement?
The settlement resolved claims brought by women employees and temporary agency contractors alleging sex discrimination, harassment and retaliation. The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) described the decree as covering approximately 1,600 women employees, including contract workers. Its total fund was $100 million, with $80 million designated for worker compensation. The remaining provisions included penalties, reserves for workplace programs and other required changes.
The amended consent decree identifies the case as Los Angeles Superior Court case 18STCV03957 and lists claims under California’s Equal Pay Act, Fair Employment and Housing Act, and Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), among related claims. The allegations were resolved by consent decree, not by a trial verdict. CRD’s May 2023 final-approval announcement describes the outcome and remedies.
How did the case reach final approval?
- October 2018: CRD said it notified Riot that it was investigating allegations of harassment, discrimination and retaliation affecting women employees and temporary agency contractors.
- November 2018: Former employees filed a putative class action in Los Angeles Superior Court. The case initially included a proposed $10 million settlement. CRD and the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement objected and intervened, saying they aimed to protect the state’s and workers’ interests and ensure a fair resolution.
- December 27, 2021: Riot announced a global settlement agreement, noting that payment and class distribution remained subject to court approval.
- July 2022: A judge granted preliminary approval. CRD announced the decree’s final approval on May 16, 2023.
CRD’s account of the investigation, initial proposal and intervention is in its final-approval announcement; Riot’s December 2021 announcement records the agreement’s announcement and the approval condition.
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How was the settlement structured?
| Provision | What the decree provided |
|---|---|
| Total settlement fund | $100 million, according to CRD’s May 2023 final-approval announcement. |
| Worker compensation | $80 million dedicated to compensating workers, according to CRD’s May 2023 announcement. |
| PAGA penalties | $4 million in penalties under California’s Private Attorneys General Act. |
| Pay adjustments and inclusion programs | A $6 million reserve for each year of the decree’s three-year term, totaling $18 million. |
| Pathways for temporary contractors | Forty full-time positions to be made available through a competitive process to qualified class members who had worked as temporary contractors. |
| Pay and advancement review | Annual independent gender-equity analysis of pay, job assignments and promotions. |
| Workplace protections | Independent monitoring for three years. |
The reserve and position details appear in CRD’s July 2022 preliminary-approval announcement; the decree’s overall design is also summarized in its May 2023 final-approval announcement and 2023 annual report.
Who was covered, and what is known about individual payments?
CRD described the covered group as approximately 1,600 women employees, including contract workers. The $80 million figure is an aggregate amount designated for worker compensation; it does not establish what any individual received. The official materials cited here do not specify individual award amounts, so dividing the total by the approximate number of covered workers would not show actual payments.
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Was this the lawsuit involving former CEO Nicolo Laurent?
No. The $100 million decree resolved the 2018 litigation. A separate lawsuit filed in January 2021 named Riot and former CEO Nicolo Laurent. In a May 2024 statement, Riot said an arbitrator found the claims unfounded and that the Los Angeles Superior Court confirmed the award in December 2024. That result is Riot’s account of the separate proceeding, not part of the 2018 consent decree. Riot’s statement describes its account of that matter.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the decree does—and does not—establish
The decree establishes a court-approved resolution combining worker relief with specified workplace reforms and monitoring. It does not amount to a trial finding that Riot committed the alleged violations. The official sources cited here establish the settlement’s design and approval, but do not establish each worker’s payment or the current completion status of every monitoring and reform obligation.
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