It?s probably the worst kept secret in the games industry that working conditions can often be less than ideal. For something that?s a dream job for many, there are plenty of reports of hostile work environments and crunch culture that work developers to the bone and then grind those bones to dust. Today, Riot Games held a walkout where more than 150 employees walked out of the Los Angeles-based offices to protest new forced arbitration clauses that take away a lot of the employees? rights. But this walkout symbolizes a lot more than just this single arbitration issue at Riot Games. It?s a major step on the path for better working conditions for all game developers.
For those unaware, forced arbitration is a clause that requires any employees to settle disputes through in-house arbitration, waiving rights to be able to sue or pursue legal action against the company. While this sounds like reaching an amicable conclusion in theory, more often than not forced arbitration can be used as a way to keep the skeletons in the closet, as it were. Instead of airing dirty laundry via messy lawsuits, companies (not just game devs and publisher) will handle everything in house.
Image Credit: Nathan Graysun (Kotaku)
Too often, in-house arbitration leads to some form of nepotism rather than justice. That?s a blanket statement of course. Arbitration can be a good thing, when it?s voluntary. Amicable solutions can be reached by both parties in a dispute coming to an agreement. Forced arbi...