Sunday, July 3, 2022
No Result
View All Result
Esports Grizzly
  • Home
  • College Esports
  • Industry
  • GamesUpdates!
    • Call of Duty
    • Counter Strike
      • CS:GO Betting Sites
    • DOTA 2
      • Dota 2 Betting Sites
    • FGC
    • Fortnite
    • League of Legends
      • League of Legends Betting Sites
    • Mobile Legends
    • Overwatch
    • PUBG
    • Rainbow Six Siege
    • Valorant
  • Esports Betting SitesNew
    • Bitcasino Esports Review | Evil Geniuses’ Home Esports Bookmaker
    • Sportsbet.io Esports Review
    • Cloudbet Esports Review | Is Cloudbet Legit?
    • Dogecoin Esports Betting Sites
    • Luckbox Review (2021) – Is Luckbox Esports Safe?
    • Betway Esports Review
    • GG.Bet Esports Review | League of Legends, Dota 2 and CS:GO
    • Rivalry Esports Review
    • Pinnacle Esports Review
  • Consoles
  • Streamers
  • Q&A
  • Blog
  • Opinion
  • Newsletter
Sunday, July 3, 2022
No Result
View All Result
Esports Grizzly
No Result
View All Result

riot-games-company-logo-and-brand

Image credit: Riot Games

Alienware to Allegedly Cut Ties with LoL after Riot’s CEO Is Accused of Sexual Harassment

in League of Legends
March 17, 2021
  • Accusations of sexual harassment against Riot’s CEO Nicolo Laurent, may lead to Alienware canceling any sponsorship of League of Legends
  • Laurent was accused of misconduct towards Sharon O’Donnell, former executive assistant
  • This isn’t the first time Riot’s employees have been condemned of such behavior which may have prompted Alienware to act

Riot Games get entangled in controversy once more as former executive assistant accuses Riot's CEO of sexual harassment, which has reportedly led to frictions with Alienware. 

Alienware May Cease Partnership with Riot

A majorly important deal for Riot Games can end in a heartbeat as people close to the matter claim Alienware is going to cancel their partnership early, DotEsports reported. It was originally set to expire in January 2022, but this may now happen ten months earlier. Riot spokesperson says that Alienware is a valuable partner. He couldn't disclose full details of the ongoing dialogue between the companies, but in the meantime, Riot has already started removing Alienware branding across the board. 

The cancelation of this deal can only mean trouble for Riot as it was supposed to encompass every esports event LoL has to offer (LEC, LCK, LCS, LPL, Mid-Season Invitational, and the World Championship).

Alienware is a gaming hardware company that has been one of the biggest sponsors of the League of Legends esports scene. They currently support Team Liquid as well and have facilities in the USA and the Netherlands. The friction between the hardware company and Riot is due to the latter's CEO being accused of sexual harassment at the workplace.

O'Donnell's Accuses Riot's CEO of Sexual Harassment

Nicolo Laurent, Riot's Chief executive officer, was condemned and put into a civil lawsuit by former executive assistant Sharon O'Donnell. The latter accused Laurent of sexual harassment and gender discrimination. The former executive assistant says that Riot's CEO made numerous inappropriate remarks to female employees, forcing his views on the necessity of childbirth for stress relief. He also invited O'Donnell to non-business-related trips more than once. O'Donnell also adds that she was baselessly fired last summer when she tried to report the CEO to human resources. 

Riot did defend themselves by saying that O'Donnell's dismissal wasn't, in fact, baseless and was because of several complaints against her. The gaming company counter-attacked with an investigation against the former executive assistant. As for Laurent's behavior, Riot promised that they are taking the allegations seriously and will undergo an investigation by an independent law firm. Should the CEO's misbehaviors be confirmed, the company will do everything in its power to correct their conduct. 

This Isn't the First Time Riot Has Had Such Issues

Regardless of how things unfold between O'Donnell and Laurent, the fact remains that for the past years, Riot has been no stranger to controversies. 

The first such controversy came in August 2018 when the video game website Kotaku published reports of sexism and sexual abuse among the internal ranks of Riot. The game company took the allegations to heart and promised to undergo a 16-month-long cultural transformation.

However, just four months later, yet another issue arose as Riot's chief operating officer Scott Gelb was accused of sexual misbehavior such as touching male colleagues' genitals. Gelb wasn't fired but was suspended and made to attend cultural training. 

A year and a half later, as LEC was rolling up in summer 2020, Riot became the target of public outrage yet again. This time fans were less than content by the game company's choice to collaborate with NEOM – a city development backed by Saudi Arabia, which is known for its mistreatment of women and homosexuals as well as the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist. 

Riot did not try to defend NEOM, and in fact, their own commentators had some critiques to say. In the end, they did listen to the public and ended the partnership mere days after establishing it. 

On top of all, Riot is currently dealing with another lawsuit as in 2020, and female workers filed a lawsuit where they claimed to be given lower salaries based on their gender. The women refused the $10 million Riot offered as a settlement, and the lawsuit continues. 

As for the ongoing issues concerning the CEO and O'Donnell, Riot promised that would do anything in their power to correct their behavior and resolve everything adequately. Nicolo Laurent has agreed to fully cooperate during this process.

Tags: AlienwareRiot Games
Angel HristovbyAngel Hristov
Tags: AlienwareRiot Games
Home » Alienware to Allegedly Cut Ties with LoL after Riot’s CEO Is Accused of Sexual Harassment
ShareShareTweetShareSend
league-of-legends-clash-between-champions
Blog

Betting on League of Legends: Top 5 Sites to Wager Using Bitcoin

by Papa Bear
March 1, 2022

Few games have captured the hearts of the wider audiences quite like Riot Games’ masterpiece League of Legends has. The...

Read more
overwatch-female-characters
Opinion

Women in Esports: How Esports Are Moving Towards a More Inclusive Future

by Angel Hristov
October 25, 2021

Gaming has long been regarded as something reserved for nerdy boys. As times change women join in on the fun...

Read more
v-bucks-currency-in-fortnite
Blog

Bitcoin Esports: Best Crypto Esports Betting Sites

by Alexander Todorov
January 23, 2022

Bitcoin esports betting is on the rise. The idea of placing wagers on your favorite esports teams is an experience...

Read more

Latest and Popular

League of Legend's Bel champion revealed in May 2022.
League of Legends

Riot Games Teases League of Legends’ Next Champion

by Stefan Velikov
June 19, 2022
lcs-official-featured-logo
League of Legends

2022 LCS Summer Split Opening Weekend’s Best Matchups

by Alexander Todorov
June 9, 2022
PSG Talon's first player.
League of Legends

Former FPX, Nongshim Mid Laner Gori Joins PSG Talon’s League Roster

by Stefan Velikov
June 7, 2022
Gamsu joins Team Dignitas as part of their League of Legends roster.
League of Legends

Gamsu Rejoins Dignitas’ LCS Roster after a Seven-Year Hiatus

by Stefan Velikov
May 23, 2022

Next Post
thirty-five-ventures-official-brand-logo

NBA Champion Durant joins Andbox and Invests in NY Subliners

eSports Grizzly Mobile Dark
eSports Grizzly Mobile Dark

Content Categories

  • Blog
  • Call of Duty
  • College Esports
  • Consoles
  • Cosplay
  • Counter Strike
  • DOTA 2
  • FGC
  • Fortnite
  • Gaming
  • Halo
  • Hearthstone
  • Industry
  • League of Legends
  • Mobile Legends
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Overwatch
  • Popular
  • PUBG
  • Q&A
  • Rainbow Six Siege
  • Rocket League
  • Streamers
  • Uncategorized
  • Valorant

Recent Posts

  • NaVi Dominates the BLAST Premier Spring Final 2022
  • Arsenal Veteran Footballer Mesut Özil Might Move into Esports
  • Blizzard Promises Consistent Content Updates and Battle Pass For Overwatch 2

About Esports Grizzly

We bring you the best Premium esports content from around the globe.

Our FREE weekly newsletter

Keep in the loop with our minimalist weekly newsletter. Subscribe today!

GET IN TOUCH

Esports Grizzly reports on the latest industry and gaming intelligence, Want to pitch in? Get in touch!

  • Home
  • About us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact

© 2021 Esports Grizzly - Your daily BITE of global esports

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • College Esports
  • Industry
  • Games
    • Call of Duty
    • Counter Strike
      • CS:GO Betting Sites
    • DOTA 2
      • Dota 2 Betting Sites
    • FGC
    • Fortnite
    • League of Legends
      • League of Legends Betting Sites
    • Mobile Legends
    • Overwatch
    • PUBG
    • Rainbow Six Siege
    • Valorant
  • Esports Betting Sites
    • Bitcasino Esports Review | Evil Geniuses’ Home Esports Bookmaker
    • Sportsbet.io Esports Review
    • Cloudbet Esports Review | Is Cloudbet Legit?
    • Dogecoin Esports Betting Sites
    • Luckbox Review (2021) – Is Luckbox Esports Safe?
    • Betway Esports Review
    • GG.Bet Esports Review | League of Legends, Dota 2 and CS:GO
    • Rivalry Esports Review
    • Pinnacle Esports Review
  • Consoles
  • Streamers
  • Q&A
  • Blog
  • Opinion
  • Newsletter

© 2021 Esports Grizzly - Your daily BITE of global esports

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.