Dell-owned Alienware has axed a wide-ranging global League of Legends esports sponsorship following recent sexual misconduct allegations against Riot Games' CEO Nicolo Laurent.
Dell-owned Alienware has axed a wide-ranging global League of Legends esports sponsorship following recent sexual misconduct allegations against Riot Games' CEO, according to a report in Dot Esports.
Citing unnamed sources, Dot Esports said Alienware is concerned with Riot's public image following reports of sexual discrimination and misconduct at the company.
A rep with Dell told Gamasutra in an email, "Dell is no longer a Riot Games sponsor. We're unable to provide additional commentary at this time as Dell does not discuss the details of any partnerships."
Most recently in February, a former employee accused Riot CEO Nicolo Laurent of sexual harassment while she was Laurent's executive assistant from 2017 to 2020.
According to the report, the Alienware sponsorship was slated to end in January 2022. Riot told Dot Esports it would not comment on the status of the partnership, but confirmed "As we continue discussions with them, we have removed their branding from our broadcasts.” Gamasutra has reached out to Riot reps for additional comment.
Riot Games is also currently in the middle of a class action lawsuit backed by several current and former employees (though the suit has seemingly been pushed back into private arbitration) that accuses Riot Games of “creating, encouraging, and maintaining a work environment that exposes its female employees to discrimination, harassment, and retaliation on the basis of their gender or sex."
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