UPDATED: Riot Games Executive Resigns Following George Floyd Comments
Vice.com is reporting that Riot Games Global Head of Consumer Products Ron Johnson has been placed on leave from the company following posts he made on Facebook related to the death of George Floyd. Johnson shared an image of Floyd that detailed his criminal history, while also commenting that his killing should serve as a "learning opportunity" that "this type of criminal lifestyle never results in good things happening to you or those around you."
A spokesperson for Riot Games responded to Vice, saying that they were made aware of Johnson's post and have launched an investigation. "We’ll say firmly that the sentiment in that image is abhorrent, against our values, and directly counter to our belief that addressing systemic racism requires immediate societal change, which we detailed in the commitments we made Friday."
The incident serves as a continuation of Riot's tumultuous past couple of years, which has seen the company rocked by claims of sexism and an overall toxic work culture. It responded to those allegations by offering to take "steps forward" to address these issues, which resulted in the suspension of its COO.
Update, June 12: Johnson has resigned from Riot Games. ESPN obtained a copy of the memo that was sent around the Riot offices Thursday night by CEO Nicolo Laurent which reads, in part:
"I believe Ron exercised really poor judgment here. It resulted in a post that was harmful to many of us and our broader community. ... Ron understands this and recognizes that he will be ineffective as a leader at Riot going forward. As a result, he has resigned, effective today."
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Jason Winter is a veteran gaming journalist, he brings a wide range of experience to MMOBomb, including two years with Beckett Media where he served as the editor of the leading gaming magazine Massive Online Gamer. He has also written professionally for several gaming websites.
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And RIOT is virtue signaling.
We all make mistakes in life. There is no justice if the justice is not served to those employed to enforce the law too.
No person should be chocked or from other police take downs, should anyone be held down by any amount of police. No officer should automatically shoot to kill, law training needs change to lean towards shoot to maim not shoot to kill, unless of the maim never worked.
Any law officer who breaks their own laws they use to arrest needs the book thrown at them and not a pat on the back.
Protests should be peaceful your only trying to voice your opinion, don''t destroy your own town, voice it and help clean it.
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Murica-cops (and perhaps all cops everywhere) need to learn to talk first and only after resort to man-handling, if required.
It's obvious that riot is trying to put a barrier between themselves and the looting apes out there with this statement, i can't blame them.