Alienware Ends League of Legends Esports Partnership Amidst Allegations Against Riot Games CEO
One of the largest advertisers for League of Legends esports, Alienware, is severing ties with Riot Games following allegations of sexual harassment against the company’s CEO, Nicolo Laurent.
Alienware has decided to terminate their global esports partnership with Riot Games more than 10 months ahead of schedule. Sources familiar with the discussions between Alienware and Riot have revealed that Alienware expressed concern about the game developer’s public image in light of the harassment claims and other controversies surrounding the company.
The original expiration date of the partnership deal between Alienware and Riot was set for January 2022, according to sources. Riot has already removed Alienware branding from all of its competitive League broadcasts as a result of these discussions.
“Alienware has been a valuable partner to Riot since January 2019,” stated Riot Games. “We are currently unable to comment on the details of our agreement with them due to confidentiality obligations. As we continue our discussions, we have decided to remove their branding from our broadcasts.”
The partnership between Alienware and Riot encompassed sponsorship for the entire global League esports scene, including the LCS, LEC, LCK, LPL, Mid-Season Invitational, and the World Championship.
Alienware, which is a subsidiary of Dell, made the decision to terminate the partnership after Riot and its CEO were accused of sexual harassment and gender discrimination in a civil lawsuit by former executive assistant Sharon O’Donnell.
Past allegations of sexual harassment at Riot, as well as the public backlash surrounding the LEC’s previous partnership with NEOM, a Saudi Arabian state-backed city development, also played a role in Alienware’s decision to terminate the deal.
Riot initially faced criticism over internal culture issues in August 2018 following a report by Kotaku that exposed numerous allegations of sexism and sexual abuse. In response, Riot issued an apology and announced a 16-month “cultural transformation timeline.” However, the company has continued to face further allegations and scrutiny since then.
In December 2018, Riot suspended its chief operating officer Scott Gelb after a report surfaced detailing allegations of inappropriate conduct, including hitting male employees in their genitals jokingly. Gelb was to be suspended without pay and would undergo additional training before returning to the company. As of March, Gelb remained in position as Riot’s COO.
In another public relations crisis, Riot faced backlash following the LEC’s partnership with NEOM last summer. Riot’s own commentators criticized the deal due to Saudi Arabia’s treatment of the LGBTQ+ community and the country’s involvement in the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. As a result, Riot ended the NEOM partnership shortly after its announcement.
Alienware also sponsors Team Liquid and holds the naming rights to its training facilities in Los Angeles and Utrecht, Netherlands.
Sharon O’Donnell filed a lawsuit against Riot and CEO Nicolo Laurent in January in California. In her complaint, she alleged that Laurent made sexist comments and invited her on non-work-related trips. O’Donnell claims that she was unfairly fired in July 2020 for reporting Laurent to human resources. Riot denies terminating O’Donnell because of this report and states that they received complaints about her from several employees during her time at the company. Riot has initiated an independent investigation into Laurent’s behavior.
Riot spokesperson Joe Hixson stated, “We take all allegations of harassment or discrimination very seriously, thoroughly investigating claims and taking action against anyone found to have violated our policies. In this case, because some of the claims relate to an executive leader, a special committee of our Board of Directors is overseeing the investigation, which is being conducted by an outside law firm. Our CEO has pledged his full cooperation and support during this process, and we’re committed to ensuring that all claims are thoroughly explored and appropriately resolved.”
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