Riot Games

The World's Most Innovative Companies 2016Riot Games is an American gaming company founded in 2006 that specializes in video game publishing and esports tournaments. Riot is known for its flagship League of Legends, a free-to-play, online battle game that has 67 million global players and culminates each year in a world championship as spectacular as any traditional sporting tournament: packed-stadium crowds, a million-dollar prize, and ESPN-like coverage courtesy of Riot's online esports network. Riot has been instrumental in helping to build the billion-dollar infrastructure of esports, taking loosely organized events that were initially created mainly by fans and turning them into a professional league of divisions and tiers. The company's annual collegiate series uLOL awards more than $660,000 in scholarships.