Alienware Ends Partnership with Riot Games Due to Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

According to a report by Dot Esports, Alienware will be ending its global esports partnership with Riot Games due to sexual harassment allegations against the company’s CEO Nicolo Laurent.  The original deal was set to expire in January 2022 but Riot’s recent controversies has led Alienware to reconsider. In the report, Alienware “cited its concerns with the game developer’s public image” amid the claims. The recent allegations against Laurent aren’t the only time the company has come under fire though. Back in 2018, Kotaku published a report on “the culture of sexism” within Riot, detailing various reports of gender discrimination and sexual harassment at the studio.

Last weekend, Riot Games removed all Alienware branding from its “League of Legends” broadcasts. In a statement made to Dot Esports, Riot games said that “Alienware has been a valuable partner to Riot since January 2019. We can’t comment on our agreement with them at this time due to confidentiality obligations. As we continue discussions with them, we have removed their branding from our broadcasts.”

Riot has been in hot water ever since the publication of Kotaku’s in-depth report in 2018. Even after issuing its 16-month “cultural transformation timeline” to address the issues of sexism at the game developer, Riot has found itself taking one step forward and two steps back as new allegations arise. With the loss of one of their major esports sponsors for competitive “League of Legends,” Riot will hopefully sincerely address the persistent issues of sexism and harassment across all levels of management.