Riot Games shared the company’s development plan for the next five years. At the same time, the developers of League of Legends made an unusual offer to all employees. Anyone who does not agree with the new vision and goals of the company can quit. As compensation, such a person will be paid 25% of the annual salary.Legends of Runeterra
The CEO of Riot Games Nicolo Laurent told about the new five-year plan in the official blog.
The company will continue to develop existing and develop new games. We are talking at least about a League of Legends fighting game, one RPG and various spin-offs LoL. Also recently, Aaron Linde, the lead narrative designer of Halo Infinite, joined the studio. He will develop an unannounced project.
In addition, Riot plans to open offices in various countries, including China, as well as develop esports and media areas.
Some of the changes are structural in nature. Employees will be required to visit the office three times a week. “For certain types of work, being in the office is still the best option. This is especially true for creative work that requires a variety of skills and cooperation,” Laurent told Business Insider.
Also in the post of the CEO of Riot Games, the increase in diversity and inclusivity is mentioned. The company, which recently settled a gender discrimination lawsuit for $100 million, will continue to fight any manifestations of inequality in the workplace.
Since the above changes affect all areas of Riot’s activities, the studio wants to see only motivated and enthusiastic employees in its ranks. For this reason, Laurent stated that any employee who disagrees with the plans can voluntarily leave the studio.
In this case, the person will be offered a special compensation program Queue Dodge (Avoidance of the game). It is named after the term from the Riot games, which characterizes the user’s actions to exit the game lobby at the champion selection stage.
“No one should feel like they are being forced to stay at Riot or leave the studio. Whatever decision the employees make, it’s the right choice for them. It will be great if they are excited about our plans and want to stay in Riot. If they are in doubt, and this bonus package will make it easier for them to leave, that’s also cool,” Laurent said.
Initially, Queue Dodge was designed for new employees. They could leave Riot within the first six months, in return receiving 10% of the annual salary (no more than $ 25 thousand). Now this program will temporarily extend to all employees.
During January, any current Riot employee who expressed a desire to leave the company for some reason will receive 25% of his annual salary and three months of medical insurance as compensation. Also, retired employees will receive all the financial bonuses they are entitled to.
Thus, Laurent hopes that only those employees who agree with the chosen course and are ready to help make the company better will remain at Riot Games. He expects that no more than a couple hundred employees will eventually use the bonus program.
In total, Riot currently employs about three thousand people, and every year the percentage of layoffs is decreasing. At the same time, the company intends to further expand its staff. Currently, about 600 vacancies are open on its website.