A former employee of Niantic, the renowned augmented reality gaming company behind Pokemon Go, has filed a lawsuit accusing the company of systemic gender and racial bias. The case, seeking class-action status, claims that Niantic devalued the work of female employees and women of color and denied them equal pay and promotional opportunities. The employee, referred to as Jane Doe in the complaint, was laid off in a recent round of job cuts that affected approximately 230 staff members.
According to the complaint, Jane Doe, an Asian female, joined Niantic in February 2020 with an initial salary of $70,000. Later that year, she was promoted and raised around $84,000. However, in what she discovered to be a clear case of pay disparity, Jane Doe found that a male colleague with a lower job title and fewer responsibilities was earning more than her.
The lawsuit alleges that in 2022, the male colleague received an annual salary of $127,000, while Jane Doe was paid only $105,000 per year despite holding a higher job level. Although she received a raise in the spring of 2023, bringing her salary to $115,000 per year, it still fell short of her male counterpart’s earnings.
Gender and Racial Inequality Allegations and Pay Discrepancies
The legal action further claims that Niantic fostered a “boys club” culture within the company, creating an environment that marginalized and undervalued female employees and women of color. The lawsuit is a critical step toward addressing the alleged systemic bias and seeking compensation for the affected individuals.
Niantic has yet to release an official statement regarding the lawsuit. However, this case highlights the ongoing issues surrounding gender and racial inequality in the tech industry and the need for companies to address and rectify such disparities actively.
During the same period, the employee also noticed that Niantic had shared the pay range for her job title and level under California’s pay transparency law, which requires employers with over 15 employees to disclose pay ranges in job listings. To her dismay, she discovered her salary was over $10,000 less than the minimum amount stated in the range.
Feeling concerned, the employee discussed the issue with other female colleagues and raised the topics of sexism and equal pay within Niantic’s employee resources group for women, known as Wolfpack.
However, when she brought her concerns to Niantic’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Director and Principal People Partner, they reportedly made it evident that they and male upper management were unsympathetic towards her complaints regarding sexism or gender bias in the workplace, as stated in the complaint.
Allegations of Sexism and Discrimination in the Gaming Industry, Impacting Pokemon GO
Furthermore, the executives allegedly asserted that her job evaluations had been negatively influenced due to her discussions about workplace issues with colleagues. They also justified her below-range compensation by attributing it to her involvement in these conversations. Consequently, the employee decided to immediately unsubscribe from the Wolfpack group, fearing that her association with it could disadvantage the group’s members and herself, as stated in the complaint.
This year, a group called Wolfpack surveyed Niantic staffers and found that many female employees perceived the company’s work culture as sexist, leading to disadvantages for women. The survey also revealed that most respondents expressed concerns about equal pay at Niantic. However, when these survey findings were shared with upper management, the Chief Marketing Officer, Mike Quigley, allegedly instructed Wolfpack to remove references to a “Boys Club” and similar comments regarding sexism in the workplace from their presentation to Wolfpack members. Additionally, the group was informed that they could not conduct staff surveys without approval from upper management.
Niantic has not yet responded to a request for comment on these allegations. This lawsuit against Niantic adds to a series of legal actions against major gaming companies based on claims of mistreatment by female employees. In 2021, the state of California sued Activision Blizzard, accusing it of fostering a culture of constant sexual harassment. Riot Games also settled a gender discrimination lawsuit that year, agreeing to pay $100 million.
As part of its downsizing efforts, Niantic’s CEO, John Hanke, recently emphasized the company’s continued focus on Pokemon Go, its most profitable game. Niantic has faced challenges in finding another major success, leading to the discontinuation of games based on Harry Potter, Catan, and, most recently, its NBA game.
