If you’ve ever wondered why Riot requires that its employees have “riot” in their name, you’re not alone. Many employees are overworked and expect to give 110%. They communicate over Slack until the wee hours and stay up late to grind competitive skill points on League of Legends. If you’ve ever wondered why Riot requires its employees to have “riot” in their name, read on.
Table of Contents
riot employees have to have riot in their name
It’s no secret that Riot Games is a cult of diversity. If you’re a member of Riot’s staff, chances are, you have a name that contains the word ‘Riot’. The name Riot is pronounced ‘Riot,’ lowercase R(L)OT. Nicolo Laurent, the company’s CEO since 2017, oversees all aspects of the business, from strategy to operations, products and disciplines to quality of experience.
When interviewing for a position at Riot, employees are vetted based on their fit with the company’s culture. Because Riot wants to hire “core gamers,” the company prioritizes men. Its core demographic includes first-person shooter fans and MOBA players. In fact, only about 10% of Riot employees are women. The company’s hiring practices tend to favor men, but it isn’t all bad.
riot employees are expected to give 110%
As a part of the culture at Riot Games, employees are encouraged to balance their work and personal life. In addition to the aforementioned work-life balance, they are expected to give 110%. They are also given 25 percent of their base salaries as severance packages, as well as three months of COBRA insurance. If you leave Riot Games before the end of the year, you can still receive your full bonus. In addition, Riot Games offers flexible work schedules.
A recent investigation conducted by Kotaku found that a majority of Riot employees received nude pictures from their bosses and were asked sexually explicit questions by colleagues. Senior leaders even circulated a list of female employees they wanted to sleep with. The company’s culture, according to the investigation, made employees feel like they were working in a giant fraternity. Riot allegedly preferred the ideas and contributions of male employees over those of female employees.
riot employees communicate on Slack well into the night
Book Riot’s Epic Insiders Slack will shut down on February 22nd at 5 PM. It was the only interactive part of Book Riot’s community. This policy is the final straw for many of the community’s progressive members. After nearly two years of existence, this program seems to be over. But is it really? Why do employees of Book Riot communicate on Slack late into the night?
Among the most popular custom apps at Riot is the dev team support app. The app listens to support channel messages for emoji reactions and triggers the appropriate workflow. When a message comes in, a Riotter categorizes the issue and the Slack app contacts the on-call engineer. The conversation continues between Rioters. In this way, Riot’s on-call engineers aren’t interrupted by multiple messages from Rioters.
riot employees stay late to grind competitive skill points in League of Legends
Why do Riot employees stay late to grind competitive skill points in the League of Legends game? One possible explanation is that male employees are more likely to stay late to grind for the game than females. Riot employees are primarily male, according to the company’s own data, and the data reflects this. Employees’ driver’s licenses also show that male employees are more likely to stay late to grind for competitive skill points.
The ‘core’ gamers at Riot are almost exclusively men, according to the company’s recruiting page. The company hires primarily men, since most first-person shooters and MOBA players are male. According to the Quantic Foundry, a company that surveyed 270,000 gamers worldwide, only 10% were women. That’s the reason why Riot prefers men.
riot employees take a drug test before an offer of employment
The company conducts a drug test before making an offer of employment. While the policy requires employees to take the test prior to starting work, it reserves the right to drug-test employees anytime. In the case of a workplace accident, the company may take the drug test before determining whether an employee is eligible for worker’s compensation. The results of a positive test could lead to disciplinary action or even termination. To avoid being turned down for an offer of employment, applicants should plan ahead and stop using illicit substances a few weeks before applying.
Employers may face legal risks if they ignore the presence of illegal conduct while off duty. Off-duty behavior can be considered harassment under the law, and the company may be held responsible if it happens on the job. Some rioters brandished nooses, carried Confederate flags, and wore offensive tattoos and t-shirts. Others set up a gallows with a noos. These images of co-workers may cause workplace discomfort and lead to adverse action.
riot’s “ideal Rioter” image leads to a disproportionate amount of women being turned down for jobs
The image of the ‘ideal Rioter’ is part of the company’s culture and many women say that these amenities make working at Riot a bearable job for so long. Kotaku spoke to 28 employees who say this is the case. While some spoke on the record, most chose to remain anonymous to protect their careers and the company’s image among League of Legends fans.
In one example, Lacy, who worked at Riot Games, wanted to hire a woman to fill a top leadership role. When Lacy applied for the job, she repeatedly heard excuses from Riot colleagues for not being a good fit. She heard “ladder climber” and “egomaniac,” among other reasons. Some applicants were “too punk” or “too gamer.” Others were deemed un-Riot’s ideal Rioter.