Riot Games reportedly drops masking and vaccination requirements ahead of return-to-office order

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Another major California-based video game developer is starting a return-to-office order. Riot Games will be requiring employees to return to its Los Angeles headquarters while also eliminating vaccine and masking requirements, according to a report from Vice. Riot no longer requires regular COVID-19 testing for employees who have not shown proof of vaccine.

Several current and former Riot employees spoke to the Vice report and expressed their anger that the new policy would endanger their health.

Riot is following state and federal guidelines. California recently dropped its indoor masking requirement, and other states are following suit.

The leak of an email from Brian Bulatao, the chief operating officer of the company, caused a lot of controversy last week. Individual studios can make their own vaccine and masking determinations after a storm of backlash on social media.