‘League Of Legends’ Developer Riot One Of ‘Fortune’ Best Companies To Work For
League of Legends developer Riot Games has debuted at number 13 on Fortune’s annual list of the 100 best companies to work for. The company, which posted a revenue of almost $1 billion in 2014, according to PC Gamer, currently lists the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) League of Legends as its only product, and makes its money entirely through microtransactions.
As of Fortune’s list, released on March 5, high revenue and, as previously reported on the Inquisitr, developing League of Legends into the most-played game for the last 10 months running isn’t the only thing the Santa Monica, California, company is going to be known for, and Riot themselves are thrilled to have made it.
Riot debuts at lucky 13 on @FortuneMagazine's 100 Best Companies to Work For list #100BestCos http://t.co/uolR4o4E2s pic.twitter.com/4X8qAOiYzm
— Riot Games (@riotgames) March 5, 2015
Riot’s website lists some of the perks of working there, including a “highly competitive salary,” a “choice between four subsidized HMO and PPO medical insurance plans,” and a wealth of other monetary, insurance-related and simply fun benefits (including, amusingly, “Aeron chairs”).
Many of these benefits are directly League of Legends-related, including “optional daily ‘League of Legends’ playtests” and “Riot Games and ‘League of Legends’ apparel and promotional items.”
But what really makes a good company to work for? According to Fortune, “it’s about relationships.” Alongside the list this year, they’ve published an article detailing how top companies retain top talent, and they say that it’s not the perks and asserts. Companies that aren’t taking these lessons on board are rapidly falling behind.
Most interestingly, they note that most top-tier companies offer their employees a lot of free food, free drinks, and company events, where they can get together and socialize. This isn’t to tempt new talent with offers of comestibles, of course. It’s because people build relationships, have always built and expanded relationships, over food.
“That is, the food is just a tool for reaching a goal, and the goal is strong, numerous, rewarding personal relationships.”
Riot Games is no stranger to this. Let’s take another look at some of the highlights of their list of perks.
“Subsidized dinners
All-company ‘Show and Tells,’ ‘Taste the Riot’ fairs and ‘Thunderdome’ hackathons (infused with adult beverages)
Free cereal, fresh fruit, snacks, tea and fresh ground coffee; sodas and ice cream novelties for a quarter
Company events like early movie screenings, board game nights, and office get-togethers (usually around food).”
It seems that Riot has caught on to the secret of creating a great workplace full of talented, enthusiastic people: the company that eats together, stays together. And it shows. Since 2009, the company has steadily grown and flourished on the strength of a single game, as many gaming companies struggle, or fail, to even stay afloat. Making Riot Games into one of Fortune’s top 100 companies to work for, and a high-ranking one at that, is another step on that road.
Riot Games and League of Legends don’t look like they’ll be going anywhere but up in times to come.
[Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images]
