Riot Games has a new President in Hoby Darling, who has assumed the role after former President Dylan Jadeja moved into the CEO spot. The new head comes into Riot Games after being attracted to the firm’s ‘scrappy, soulful, and courageous energy’, but despite a positive sentiment, fans are already wary about his intentions for the titan gaming company.
Darling’s background doesn’t instil confidence in those who follow Riot Games for the company’s competitive esports ecosystem represented front-and-centre by League of Legends and VALORANT.
‘Generic Corporate Bro Type’
The League of Legends subreddit exploded when Hoby Darling’s appointment was confirmed. The discourse was made so much worse when investigative gamers dug into Darling’s background, revealing his track record.
Before Riot Games, Darling worked at Logitech, Skullcandy, Nike, and Volcom, among other firms. He started his professional life as a personal trainer and then transitioned into the role of a corporate attorney. Many Riot Games fans have doubted that someone with a background in sports and technology can run a gaming and esports firm.
The top post on the Reddit thread came from a user named Eragonnogare, who wrote:
A guy from Nike, Skullcandy, and Logitech doesn’t read to me as the less “corporate business guy” shift that we needed to avoid the short term profit driven issues we’ve been running into in the last year or two 💀
In the replies, a follow-up comment from youarecutexd said:
When you google him, a ton of results say he’s a crossfit bro who talks about the gym all the time. is
So basically yeah, generic corporate bro type.
Regardless of the community sentiment, Darling has nothing but good things to say about Riot:
The first time I walked into Riot, I felt a scrappy, soulful, and courageous energy I knew I needed to be a part of. I’ve worked with a lot of companies, and there’s something special about a place that takes risks, challenges convention, and stays fiercely committed to its mission.
Riot has a long history of creating experiences that truly matter to players, and I couldn’t be more excited to work alongside passionate Rioters who push each other to do their best work every day.
(Thanks to ESI for the spot)
Riot Games is perhaps the most prolific competitive gaming firm out there, but many fear Darling might be about to lead the company down a darker path. Let’s give him a chance and see what he produces.
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Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
More from Grant Taylor-Hill
Leave it to nerds to gatekeep stuff.
Tencent shut down Riot already! Buy Epic!