Riot Games: History and Key Facts

Riot Games, Inc. is an American video game developer, publisher, and esports tournament organizer based in Los Angeles. It was founded in September 2006 by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill to develop League of Legends and went on to develop several spin-off games and the unrelated first-person shooter game Valorant. In 2011, Riot Games was acquired by Chinese conglomerate Tencent. Its publishing arm, Riot Forge, oversaw the production of League of Legends spin-offs by other developers until its shutdown in January 2024. The company worked with Fortiche to release Arcane, a television series based on the League of Legends universe.

Riot Games operates League of Legends esports leagues and the Valorant Champions Tour. The company, which had 21 offices worldwide as of 2026, sells corporate sponsorships, merchandise, and streaming rights for its leagues. Riot has faced allegations and lawsuits alleging a toxic workplace culture, including gender discrimination and sexual harassment. The company was criticized for its use of forced arbitration in response to these allegations.

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