KEY POINTS

  • Riot Games pledges $1.5 million in donations for the coronavirus relief
  • The video game developer also vows to "evaluate" how they can help battle the COVID-19 crisis
  • Riot Games has also been impacted by the coronavirus, even canceling some of their events due to the health scare

Riot Games, the renowned developers of popular online multiplayer game League of Legends, is making a big assist to the City of Angels amid the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a report by The Wrap, the Los Angeles-based game developer is pitching in a total of $1.5 million in donations to aid coronavirus relief organizations. Riot will be donating $500,000 while the other $1 million will be coming from co-founders Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill.

From the donated fund, $400,000 will be given to the Los Angeles Food Bank. On the other hand, $200,000 will go to the Mayor’s Fund for L.A., which should help in covering the cost for healthcare, senior meals, and other underprivileged members of the community.

The remaining funds will be distributed to other non-profit organizations helping in the COVID-19 relief efforts.

“Knowing this is a moment of strain for working families across our region, Riot Games is committed to doing right by its workforce,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said before noting that Riot Games is also “working to secure critical personal equipment for LA’s hospitals” such as masks.

In a separate statement, Riot Games vowed to continue helping the city and promised to further evaluate how they can assist amid the ongoing global pandemic.

“Los Angeles has always been Riot’s home and Angelenos are an irreplaceable part of our success (and) we’re proud to be able to give back to our community in this difficult time,” the company said in a statement. “As a global company, we will also continue to evaluate how we can help battle this crisis on a global scale.”

The gaming community hasn’t exactly escaped the impact of the coronavirus, and Riot Games knows that too well. In fact, their North American League of Legends Championship Series has transitioned to a full online play due to the threat of the infectious disease.

Moreover, Riot’s 2020 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational has also been postponed due to the pandemic. From a May event, the competition will now take place from July 3 to 19 – that is if the coronavirus has been resolved and travel bans have been lifted all over the world.

The Santa Monica developer has also canceled all their regional Rift Rivals tournaments due to the crisis.

Despite the problems they are facing, Riot Games certainly stepped up big time and continues to make an impact on the community.

League of Legends
Soon you can draft fantasy teams based on "League of Legends" World Championships, thanks to DraftKings. Pictured: Visitors watch international teams play during the tournament of the computer game 'League of Legends' on May 8, 2014, in Paris. Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images