Immediately after announcing plans to take a slightly different direction over the next five years, Riot Games expanded its Queue Dodge buyout program — typically available to new hires in their first six months of employment — to include all employees. In other words, employees who choose to leave the company immediately – because they are not on board with the CEO’s stated vision, or for whatever reason – will have 25 percent of their annual salary, three months of subsidized health care, and other benefits throughout January.
Continue reading: Insights into the culture of sexism at Riot Games
All a worker — also known as a rioter — has to do to opt into this buyout program is resign. This could be for any reason, but the timing of Queue Dodge’s expansion suggests that it’s primarily intended to weed out people who don’t think a job at the new Riot is right for them. Specifically, Riot is urging people to sign off on the company’s new five-year plan, which CEO Nicolo Laurent outlined in a very lengthy blog post on January 11th. Laurent spoke about the company’s goals, its commitment to diversity and inclusion and a restructuring that has been happening for a number of years.
“We ask Rioters to commit to a riot where everyone feels supported,” Laurent wrote the company’s website. “Where ideas receive productive feedback, where Rioter asks tough questions in a way that encourages healthy dialogue, where we all learn and grow from different perspectives, and where we have an uncompromising and relentless focus on the players.”
Speak with Business Insider, Laurent provided context for the expanded Queue Dodge while explaining that the move will position Riot Games for future success. Laurent claimed the program is not about thinning the herd.
“We’re trying to grow the business,” he told the publication. “We just want to make sure we have the right team of highly motivated people.”
Riot’s queue dodge buyout program, which takes its name from a term used to describe players exiting multiplayer lobbies before a match begins, has been around for quite some time, though it’s usually only for new hires is available. Prior to this expansion, the program let Rioters walk away with 10 percent of their annual salary (up to $25,000) as opposed to the current 25 percent. It appears that the expansion is temporary and will only last until the end of January.
We reached out to Riot Games for comment and will update when we get feedback.
In addition to three months of subsidized healthcare benefits and 25 percent of their annual salary, Rioters who elect to participate in the expanded Queue Dodge buyout program remain eligible to earn a potential employee bonus in March.
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Riot Games hosted one recently Gender discrimination lawsuit that was charged against the company in 2018 for $100 million. To be honest, I find it a little odd that the company would compensate people who don’t live up to its outward stance on diversity and inclusion, but I also understand that employees need resources to continue seeking work in the spirited video game industry the last job didn’t work out for whatever reason. It’s a double-edged sword, this queue-dodge program, but I think I can say I’m all for it as long as those who stick with it are actively engaged in fixing the problem racism and sexism which has persisted with the developer for years.
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