Riot Games is committing $1 million to help combat racism and injustice, starting with donations to The Innocence Project and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Dylan Jadeja, president of the Los Angeles-based video game development company, made the announcement in a letter to employees Friday that addressed the death of George Floyd in police custody and the ensuing protests.
"Systemic racism is not a new issue, but we must acknowledge that complacency has contributed to slower progress than is needed to drive lasting change," Jadeja wrote. "Like many other companies with the ability and responsibility to accelerate progress, and to make it a reality, we have a part to play and it is on us to do more.
"We took time this week to look inward and to be thoughtful and deliberate in how Riot can truly help combat racism and injustice. After all, true change starts at home. We have had a long standing commitment to combating this within our games, but we realized that is not enough. ... Our efforts will focus on areas that we believe require attention and in which we can have an impact, including justice reform, investing in minority owned businesses, creating opportunities for minorities in our industry, continued education, and addressing bias and discrimination in the workforce."
The company said it will also match up to $1,000 per employee for qualifying donations to The Innocence Project, the ACLU or other organizations.
Founded in 2006, Riot Games is best known for the developing the game League of Legends. Its latest title, Valorant, was launched earlier this year.
--Field Level Media