Riot To Take Its "First Steps Forward" To Address Toxic Culture Claims

In the wake of Kotaku's article about the alleged sexist culture at Riot Games, several more current and former Rioters have stepped up to corroborate the claims. Their shared experiences have prompted the League of Legends developer to issue a declaration describing how it intends to address these kinds of issues going forward.

Titled "Our First Steps Forward," the manifesto apologizes "To All Those We've Let Down" and outlines the "First Steps" the company will be taking in the near future. These include "a new team to lead our cultural evolution," a third-party evaluation, an anonymous complaint hotline, a reevaluation of recruiting processes, and the hiring of a new Chief Human Resources Officer and Chief Diversity Officer. The statement claims that "No one and nothing is sacred," saying that the "removal of Rioters" is an option, ostensibly for particularly troubling employees.

It's probably the best move Riot could make, given the backlash it's encountered over the past month. That said, the company has had strong words for how it conducts its business before, so it will have to act on these new words if it hopes to make up for its recent loss of trust and respect.