Riot tells staff impacted by LA wildfires that "what matters most is taking care of yourselves and each other"

As hundreds of thousands of people are placed under evacuation orders, the devastating wildfires sweeping across Los Angeles are not just impacting residents but developers based in the Californian city, too.

Activision Blizzard, Riot, and other video game companies have reached out to employees, with Riot telling staff to take care of themselves ahead of work.

"For Rioters reading this, please remember, the mission and the work will always be there. Right now, what matters most is taking care of yourselves and each other," said Riot Games CEO, A. Dylan Jadeja on LinkedIn.

"As a leader, you feel a responsibility to say something and to do something in moments like these. But what do you say when frankly there are no words? Nothing can be said to truly acknowledge the pain and suffering that we are witnessing unfold in the communities so many of us call home. The ongoing wildfires across greater Los Angeles have upended lives, displaced families, and devastated communities. Tens of thousands of homes are at risk, and the scale of loss is heartbreaking - more than anyone should have to bear.

"It's too early for anyone to know exactly what will be needed or what can be done in the aftermath of this. The reality is… we are still in the middle of it. But when the time is right, Riot will be ready to stand up for Los Angeles and give back in every way we can to all of these communities that mean so much to who we are. After all, while our reach is global, the heart of Riot Games has always been in Los Angeles. Los Angeles raised us and we are proud to call this great city our home."

Meanwhile, Activision Blizzard told PC Gamer that it was "actively monitoring the situation" whilst providing "resources" to those impacted by the fires.

"Employee safety and well-being is our top priority," an Activision spokesperson said.

"We're actively monitoring the situation as it is quickly evolving. We've been in contact with the employees closest to the impacted areas to confirm their safety and provide resources."

Yesterday, we reported that the same disastrous fires burning across multiple districts of Los Angeles have also shut down production across Hollywood, impacting the filming of Fallout season 2 and a raft of other projects.