Activision Blizzard and Riot Games both settled major gender discrimination lawsuits in 2021, amidst a rising tide of pushback against the mistreatment of women in the workforce. Now, thanks to reporting from Axios, we know the terms of these settlement deals, and how many people have been compensated following this string of litigation.
According to Axios, which cited an April court filing by Rust Consulting, over 1,500 workers at Riot Games and Activision are receiving payments as a direct result of individual workplace settlements.
In 2021, Riot Games agreed to pay 1,548 women from a pool of US $100 million – and payments to these former and current employees are between US $2,500 and US $5,000. Some women are also reportedly receiving additional payments of up to US $40,000, depending on their employment status and tenure.
The Activision Blizzard settlement, which is separate from the Riot Games settlement but still relates to the alleged mistreatment of women in the workforce, reportedly tasked the company with paying hundreds of people around ‘five to six figures’ in compensation.
Read: The Activision Blizzard lawsuit, explained
The settlement was open to anyone who ‘based on the EEOC’s assessment could assert a claim for sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination, retaliation and/or constructive discharge by Defendants’ and reportedly totalled US $18 million.
Reporting from Axios suggests ‘nearly all’ of this fund has now been distributed, with the remainder set to be allocated to ‘Reboot Representation‘, a tech-focused coalition that aims to ‘close the gap’ for Black, Latina, and Native American women in the tech sector.
Both Riot Games and Activision Blizzard have pledged support for this initiative.
This article has been updated since its original publication.
