History of Riot Games in Timeline

Riot Games is an American video game developer, publisher, and esports organizer, founded in 2006 by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill. Known primarily for developing League of Legends, the company has expanded its portfolio with spin-off games and Valorant. In 2011, Riot Games was acquired by Tencent. Riot's publishing arm, Riot Forge, oversaw the creation of League of Legends spin-offs by external developers until its closure in January 2024. They also partnered with Fortiche to produce Arcane, an animated series based on the League of Legends universe.

September 2006: Riot Games Founded

In September 2006, Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill founded Riot Games in Los Angeles with the goal of developing League of Legends.

September 2006: Riot Games Established in Santa Monica

In September 2006, Riot Games was officially established in Santa Monica, California, after Beck and Merrill secured initial funding. Steve "Guinsoo" Feak was the first person recruited to the company.

October 27, 2009: League of Legends Release

On October 27, 2009, Riot Games officially released League of Legends as a free-to-play game following six months of beta testing.

May 10, 2010: Riot Games Takes Over European Distribution

On May 10, 2010, Riot Games announced it would assume direct distribution and operation of League of Legends in Europe, relocating its European headquarters from Brighton to Dublin.

2010: Development of New Content for League of Legends

During 2010, the Riot Games team developed new content for League of Legends and realized the popularity of watching the game being played, leading to the establishment of esports leagues.

February 2011: Tencent Acquires Majority Stake in Riot Games

In February 2011, Tencent invested $400 million to acquire a 93% stake in Riot Games.

2011: First World Championship Event

In 2011, Riot Games held its first League of Legends world championship event at a conference in Sweden, which led to the decision to invest in turning tournaments into professional sports-like events.

2012: Tournament at Galen Center

In 2012, Riot Games held a League of Legends tournament at the University of Southern California's Galen Center, offering $1 million in prize money.

2012: Launch of Player Behavior Team

In 2012, Riot Games launched a "player behavior team" of psychologists to combat toxicity and harassment in League of Legends.

2012: Previous update to company values

In 2012, Riot Games updated their company values, which was the last time they did so until January 2019.

2013: League of Legends Most Played PC Game

By 2013, League of Legends became the most-played multiplayer PC game worldwide.

December 16, 2015: Tencent Acquires Remaining Stake in Riot Games

On December 16, 2015, Tencent completed its acquisition of Riot Games by purchasing the remaining 7% stake, with the price undisclosed.

2015: Riot Games Relocates to New Campus

In 2015, Riot Games moved its headquarters to a new 20-acre campus in western Los Angeles.

2015: Investors Buy Stakes in Esports Teams

In 2015, investors began buying stakes in Riot Games' esports teams and building their own squads. Team owners included figures from the Washington Wizards, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Dodgers, AOL co-founder Steve Case, and life coach Tony Robbins.

March 2016: Riot Games Acquires Radiant Entertainment

In March 2016, Riot Games acquired Radiant Entertainment, the developer behind Rising Thunder and Stonehearth. Rising Thunder was subsequently canceled.

October 2016: Mechs vs. Minions Released

In October 2016, Riot Games released Mechs vs. Minions, a cooperative tabletop game based on League of Legends.

2016: League of Legends Reaches 100 Million Monthly Players

By 2016, League of Legends had surpassed 100 million monthly players.

2016: Riot Games Named Company of the Year

In 2016, Inc. named Riot Games its Company of the Year, citing the growth of the leagues and high-profile ownership in esports. Riot also issued an open letter promising higher revenue shares and more collaboration with professional teams.

October 13, 2017: Beck and Merrill Return to Game Development Focus

On October 13, 2017, Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill announced their return to focusing on game development, handing over day-to-day operations of the League of Legends team to Dylan Jadeja, Scott Gelb, and Nicolo Laurent.

2017: Riot Games Files Lawsuit Against Moonton

In 2017, Riot Games filed a lawsuit against Moonton Technology Co., the developer of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, citing similarities between Mobile Legends and League of Legends.

2017: League of Legends World Championship in China

In 2017, Riot Games held the League of Legends World Championship in China, with the finals in Beijing. The company also announced it would franchise its ten-team North American League of Legends Championship Series.

May 2018: Riot Games Employee Count

As of May 2018, Riot Games had 2,500 employees across 24 offices worldwide.

July 2018: Riot Wins Copyright Infringement Lawsuit in China

In July 2018, Tencent, on behalf of Riot Games, won a lawsuit in a Chinese court against Moonton Technology Co., the developer of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, for copyright infringement, awarding it $2.9 million in damages.

August 2018: Riot Responds to Allegations and Implements Changes

In August 2018, following the Kotaku article, more developers spoke out about sexual harassment and misgendering at Riot Games. Riot announced it would take action, regardless of seniority. They also implemented seven "first steps" to change the company's internal culture, including a "Culture and Diversity & Inclusion Initiative", and hired Frances X. Frei as a senior adviser.

August 2018: PAX West Session and Security Increase

In August 2018, in response to the Kotaku article, Riot offered a women and non-binary exclusive session at PAX West for aspiring game developers, sparking community outrage and defense from employees. Following a shooting in Jacksonville, Florida, Riot also increased security at upcoming events. Two Riot employees who addressed PAX feedback left the company.

October 2018: DFEH Investigates Riot Games

In October 2018, California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) began investigating gender discrimination claims at Riot Games.

December 2018: COO Suspended for Misconduct

In December 2018, Riot's CEO Nicolo Laurent announced that COO Scott Gelb was suspended for two months without pay for workplace misconduct, and would undergo training. Riot also mentioned ongoing investigations into other cases, but wouldn't discuss senior level cases publicly.

2018: Discrimination Allegations at Riot Games

In 2018, a Kotaku report detailed allegations from current and former Riot Games employees about gender discrimination, a "bro culture", and instances of sexual harassment within the company. The report suggested that Riot's focus on "core" gamers led to favoring male employees.

January 2019: Company Values Updated

In January 2019, Riot updated its company values for the first time since 2012, in response to the "bro culture" allegations from the Kotaku report.

February 2019: Chief Diversity Officer Hired

In February 2019, Riot hired Angela Roseboro as its chief diversity officer to improve company culture, manage diversity and inclusion efforts, and guide inclusive recruiting.

March 2019: Riot Squad Esports LLC Founded

In March 2019, Riot Squad Esports LLC, a Chicago-based esports organization, was founded. This organization was later sued by Riot Games for trademark infringement in October 2019.

April 2019: Lawsuit and Employee Walkout Threat

In April 2019, following the Kotaku article, a current and a former Riot employee filed a lawsuit against the company for gender discrimination and a "sexually-hostile" workplace. Other employees followed with lawsuits. Riot attempted to dismiss two suits, citing arbitration agreements. Riot employees threatened to walk out over forced arbitration and a lack of transparency.

May 6, 2019: Riot Employees Stage Walkout

On May 6, 2019, over one hundred Riot employees staged a walkout demanding an end to forced arbitration for all past and current employees due to the gender discrimination lawsuit.

May 2019: Riot Addresses Arbitration and Establishes 90-Day Plan

In May 2019, Riot allowed employees to speak anonymously with the press, started town hall meetings, and began smaller group discussions to determine future action. Riot committed to removing mandatory arbitration in new employee contracts and established a 90-day plan to address internal issues related to diversity and inclusion. Later that month, Riot reverted their position, deciding not to change forced arbitration in existing agreements during ongoing litigation.

June 2019: DFEH Alleges Riot Denied Document Requests

In June 2019, the DFEH accused Riot of denying document requests, leading to potential legal action to compel them. After the proposed settlement, the DFEH and the state's Division of Labor Standards Enforcement filed complaints, arguing the settlement was too low and could release Riot from labor liabilities.

August 2019: Proposed Settlement in Class-Action Suit

In August 2019, a proposed settlement was reached in the class-action suit against Riot Games, including at least US$10 million in damages for women employed at Riot over the previous five years. Both the class representatives and Riot acknowledged unresolved issues outside the suit.

October 2019: New Game Announcements

In October 2019, Riot Games announced several new games: League of Legends: Wild Rift, a mobile version of Teamfight Tactics, and Legends of Runeterra, along with teasers for Project A (later revealed as Valorant), Project L, and Project F.

October 2019: Riot Games Files Trademark Lawsuit Against Riot Squad Esports LLC

In October 2019, Riot Games filed a lawsuit against Riot Squad Esports LLC, alleging trademark infringement of their "Riot" trademark.

December 2019: Riot Forge Announcement

In December 2019, Riot Games announced Riot Forge, a publishing label that partners with smaller game development studios for the creation of League of Legends games. Ruined King: A League of Legends Story and Convergence: A League of Legends Story were announced at The Game Awards 2019.

2019: Discouraging Political Statements at Live Events

In 2019, Riot Games discouraged political statements during live events, claiming sensitive topics "cannot be fairly represented in the forum [their] broadcast provides" and stating the company is responsible for preventing escalation of "potentially sensitive situations".

2019: Censorship of Politically Sensitive Terms in League of Legends

In 2019, it was discovered that politically sensitive words related to China, like Tiananmen and Uyghur, were censored in League of Legends. The censorship varied across servers and languages, with some restrictions being lifted after Reddit complaints.

January 2020: Riot Tabletop Announcement

In January 2020, Riot Games announced Riot Tabletop, a division for producing tabletop games; the first game was Tellstones: King's Gambit, released in 2020.

February 2020: Settlement Withdrawn and New Lawyers Hired

In February 2020, due to the state's concerns, the class withdrew the proposed US$10 million settlement and hired new lawyers involved in the Me Too movement. Riot maintained that the $10 million figure was fair.

April 7, 2020: Valorant Closed Beta Release

On April 7, 2020, Valorant entered its closed beta phase.

April 2020: Acquisition of Hypixel Studios and Singapore Office Plans

In April 2020, Riot Games acquired Hypixel Studios, which they had been investing in over the previous eighteen months, to help them publish Hytale. Also in April, Riot announced plans to establish a Singapore office later that year to support existing and newer titles.

June 2, 2020: Valorant Official Release

On June 2, 2020, Valorant was officially released.

June 2020: Ron Johnson Resigns After Controversial Facebook Post

In June 2020, Riot Games' global head of consumer products, Ron Johnson, shared a Facebook post claiming George Floyd was killed due to his "criminal lifestyle." Johnson was placed on leave and subsequently resigned from the company.

July 2020: Partnership with Neom Canceled After Criticism

In July 2020, Riot announced a partnership with Neom, a developing city in Saudi Arabia, to sponsor the League of Legends European Championship series. Following criticism from fans and employees over Saudi Arabia's human rights record and the displacement of the Howeitat tribe, Riot canceled the partnership, apologizing for rushing the decision.

October 2020: Jason Bunge Hired as CMO

In October 2020, Jason Bunge was hired as Riot Games' chief marketing officer (CMO).

November 2020: Announcement of Valorant Champions Tour

In November 2020, Riot Games announced the first Valorant Champions Tour, the global competitive tournament for Valorant.

2020: Discouraging Political Statements at Live Events

In 2020, Riot Games continued to discourage political statements during live events, claiming sensitive topics "cannot be fairly represented in the forum [their] broadcast provides" and stating the company is responsible for preventing escalation of "potentially sensitive situations".

2020: Tellstones: King's Gambit Released

In 2020, Riot Tabletop, a division of Riot Games, released Tellstones: King's Gambit, a bluffing game for two or four players.

January 2021: Lawsuit Against Riot and Laurent

In January 2021, Riot and CEO Nicolo Laurent were sued by Laurent's former assistant on sexual discrimination charges, alleging inappropriate language and labor mistreatment.

March 2021: Alienware Ends Partnership with Riot

In March 2021, Alienware ended its sponsorship of Riot's League of Legends esports events a year early, citing ongoing litigation over sexual harassment allegations.

March 2021: Investigation Concludes No Action Against Laurent

In March 2021, an investigation by Riot's board of directors into the allegations against CEO Nicolo Laurent concluded there was no evidence of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation, and no action was taken.

August 2021: Partnership with FTX Cryptocurrency Exchange

In August 2021, Riot Games partnered with the FTX cryptocurrency exchange in a seven-year deal.

August 2021: DFEH Alleges Interference in Investigation

In August 2021, the DFEH accused Riot of interfering with their investigation by falsely telling employees they couldn't speak to the DFEH directly. The court ordered Riot to issue a memo clarifying employees' rights.

October 2021: Riot Acquires Kanga

In October 2021, Riot Games bought Kanga, a services firm involved in fan hubs, merchandising, and content aggregation.

November 2021: Arcane Series Release

In November 2021, Riot Games collaborated with Fortiche to release the animated series Arcane on Netflix and Tencent in China. It received a favorable critical reception.

2021: Building New Remote Broadcast Centers

In 2021, Riot Games began building out three new "remote broadcast centers" in Asia, North America (Seattle), and Europe (Dublin) to improve the scale of its esports productions.

February 2022: Riot Games Stays in Russian Market

After Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Riot Games did not withdraw from the Russian market, despite being asked to do so by Ukrainian politician Mykhailo Fedorov.

March 2022: Riot Games Donates to Ukraine Relief Efforts

In March 2022, Riot Games donated $5.4 million to humanitarian relief organizations operating in Ukraine. The proceeds came from battle passes and in-game items sold in several of its games.

March 2022: Investment in Fortiche and Executive Hires

In March 2022, Riot Games invested in Fortiche, with executives joining Fortiche's board. Riot also hired executives from Netflix, Paramount, and HBO Max to lead film, TV, and music endeavors based on Riot's IP.

July 2022: Opening of Dublin Remote Broadcast Center

In July 2022, Riot Games opened its first Remote Broadcast Center (RBC) in Dublin, Ireland, located in a building formerly housing The Wright Venue nightclub. The facility includes six studios and preserves the nightclub's disco ball.

July 2022: Settlement Approved

In July 2022, the new settlement with the DEFH and employees of $100 million, with $80 million going to the impacted employees, was approved. Riot will compensate 1,548 female employees between $2,500 and $40,000 each.

October 2022: Acquisition of Wargaming Sydney

In October 2022, Riot Games acquired Wargaming Sydney from Wargaming and renamed it Riot Sydney, excluding rights to the BigWorld technology.

November 2022: Seeking to Terminate FTX Contract

Following the bankruptcy of FTX in November 2022, Riot Games began seeking legal methods to terminate the FTX contract.

January 2023: Layoffs and Cyberattack

In January 2023, Riot Games laid off 46 employees and suffered a cyberattack that resulted in the theft of source code for League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, and an anti-cheat platform. The stolen data was put up for sale on the dark web.

September 2023: Dylan Jadeja Becomes CEO

In September 2023, Dylan Jadeja became the CEO of Riot Games.

January 2024: Layoffs and Riot Forge Sunset

In January 2024, Riot Games announced it would be laying off 530 employees, or about 11% of its workforce, as well as sunsetting the Riot Forge effort and its planned Twitch competitor, Riot Esports Network (REN).

January 2024: Riot Forge Shutdown

In January 2024, Riot Games shut down its publishing arm, Riot Forge, which oversaw the production of League of Legends spin-offs by other developers.

May 2024: Lawsuit Over FTX Partnership

In May 2024, Riot Games was sued in California federal court over its partnership with bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, with plaintiffs seeking to recover losses from FTX.