June 11, 2020 The initial report from PCGI claimed Johnson had been dismissed, however, since then Riot Games has clarified Johnson resigned. Effective immediately he will no longer be working with Riot.
The global head of consumer products at Riot Games has resigned after he made controversial comments about George Floyd on social media. Ron Johnson will no longer be working with the Valorant and League of Legends developer following the controversy surrounding his Facebook post.
At first, the executive was placed on leave as Riot investigated the post which named George Floyd’s alleged criminal record and high state during the arrest. The original post came with the caption: “The media and the left have made George Floyd into a martyr. But who was he really?” before listing a criminal record.
Johnson went on to share the post to his Facebook with a comment about Floyd’s death being a “learning opportunity” as a “criminal lifestyle never results in good things happening to you or those around you.” Soon after Joe Hixson confirmed that Johnson was being investigated for an “offensive” social media post.
In response, Riot made this statement to PC Games Insider: “Ron Johnson is no longer employed at Riot Games. The sentiment expressed in the image in question is abhorrent and runs directly counter to our values and our belief that addressing systemic racism requires immediate societal change, something that we’re committed to working toward.
“As we shared last week, Riot is taking thoughtful and deliberate action to help combat racism and injustice in the communities where we work and live. To start, we’re committing $1 million to areas where we know we can make an impact, including justice reform, long-term solutions to address racial bias, and support for local Black-owned businesses. We’re also striving to change the face of our industry and create opportunities, including by investing $10 million in founders underrepresented in the games industry and helping create a future pipeline of underrepresented talent for the gaming and tech world. We know there is much work to be done, and we vow to do our part.”
A Riot spokesperson went on to clarify to ESPN that Riot does not stand by the comments made by Johnson: “The sentiment expressed in the image in question is abhorrent and runs directly counter to our values and our belief that addressing systemic racism requires immediate societal change, something that we’re committed to working toward. As we shared last week, Riot is taking thoughtful and deliberate action to help combat racism and injustice in the communities where we work and live.
“To start, we’re committing $1 million to areas where we know we can make an impact, including justice reform, long-term solutions to address racial bias, and support for local black-owned businesses. We’re also striving to change the face of our industry and create opportunities, including by investing $10 million in founders underrepresented in the games industry and helping create a future pipeline of underrepresented talent for the gaming and tech world. We know there is much work to be done, and we vow to do our part.”
Floyd’s passing has sparked protest and riots all over the world after his arrest and events leading up to his death was videoed. These protests have lead to the Black Lives Matter movement gaining traction with a wider audience, and several games companies making statements and donations to the cause.
