Riot Games Denies Claim It Hampered Bias Probe as Agency ‘Smear’

Riot Games Inc., a unit of Tencent Holdings Ltd., denied claims Tuesday from a California agency that it was misleading employees about their rights to speak to regulators about sexual harassment allegations at the company, calling the accusations an effort to “smear” the video game maker.

The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing is a “rogue, press hungry agency,” Riot told the Los Angeles Superior Court, and is making improper allegations “to gin up a misleading press release and tweets to smear Riot Games.”

The company behind popular video games such as League of Legends was responding to allegations from the agency that Riot Games was ignoring a court order to instruct employees on their right to speak with the agency about allegations of workplace harassment and bias.

DFEH intervened in a lawsuit filed by two female Riot employees in California state…