The headquarters of League of Legends and Valorant developer Riot Games is a large office complex in Santa Monica, not far from the Palisades neighborhood that has been flattened by one of the deadly Los Angeles wildfires that started last week. Those offices have been closed since the start of the fires—which still haven't been fully contained—but Riot has found ways to make its campus useful with the help of employee volunteers.
"Early in the crisis, we provided a backup generator to a local fire station that had lost power, enabling them to continue fighting fires and protecting homes," Riot said in a blog post on Thursday. The developer also donated 400 meals from its employee cafeteria to nearby emergency responders, and says that it will "explore different ways to use our physical space to help the community in the weeks and months to come."
Last week, Riot CEO Dylan Jadeja said that the game developer intends to "stand up for Los Angeles" and give back however it can.
- Deadly LA fires lead to office closures for major game studios: 'Nothing can be said to truly acknowledge the pain and suffering that we are witnessing,' says Riot CEO
- Call of Duty is getting a microtransaction nobody can get mad at: A unique premium skin whose proceeds will go to LA wildfire relief
To that end, Riot has also made donations to the California Fire Foundation and International Medical Corps, offered to triple employee donations to firefighting and relief efforts, and says it has provided "temporary housing, emergency stipends, and access to advisory services" for Riot employees who evacuated or lost homes—thousands of structures have been destroyed by the fires.
Next week, Riot will launch fundraisers in League of Legends and Valorant:
- Valorant: From January 22 until it leaves the Featured Store on January 30, the EX.O Collection will become a Give Back Bundle. Similar to other VALORANT fundraisers, proceeds from weapon skins and accessories in the bundle during this time will go to the Riot Games Social Impact Fund, a donor-advised fund account sponsored by ImpactAssets.
- League of Legends: From January 23, 12:00 pm PT to February 5 11:59 am PT, proceeds from Firefighter Tristana (unvaulted for this fundraiser) will go to the Riot Games Social Impact Fund, a donor-advised fund account sponsored by ImpactAssets.
"Recovery doesn't end when the fires are extinguished," Riot's blog post concludes. "Rebuilding communities takes time, and this crisis—so close to home for our headquarters—has inspired us to strengthen our commitment to natural disaster relief and prevention on a global scale. Whether it's supporting frontline responders, helping displaced families, or contributing to long-term recovery efforts, we remain dedicated to standing with communities in need, here in Southern California and across the world."
Game developer Necrosoft has also been organizing a California Fire Relief Bundle on itch.io, which should be available soon.
Cal Fire currently reports that the Palisades Fire, the largest of them by area, is 31% contained, while the Eaton Fire is 65% contained. According to the LA Times, those fires have so far resulted in 27 confirmed deaths and over 10,000 structures destroyed.
