Riot is already cutting staff on its new fighting game
Riot Games is already “downsizing” the team working on its recently released free-to-play fighting game. 2XKOaccording to a message from executive producer Tom Cannon. The game, which takes place in the League of Legends Universe, launched in early access on PC in October and on consoles just a few weeks ago.
2XKO has been in development for years, with Riot first announcing the project under the codename Project L in 2019 as part of wider plans to expand the company’s range beyond League of Legends. Although some of Riot’s expansion ideas have worked, including the Netflix animated series Esoteric and the tactical shooter that would become Valorantthe company also closed its independent publishing label in 2024 in layoffs affecting approximately 11% of its staff in order to focus more on its “core live games.” The changes for 2XKO also reflect an increasingly competitive market for live gaming, which even Sony has proven difficult to overcome.
“As we moved from PC to console, we saw consistent trends in how players interacted with 2XKO“, Cannon says in the post. “The game has resonated with a passionate audience, but the overall momentum has not reached the level needed to support a team of this size in the long term.” The smaller team will “dig in and make key improvements to the game, including some of the things we’ve already heard you ask for.”
The cuts “affect approximately 80 positions worldwide, representing less than half of the total team,” Riot spokesperson Brian Chui said. The edge. Affected staff members will receive help finding new employment internally at Riot and, where that is not possible, will be given 6 months’ notice and severance, Cannon said.
“Ultimately, this decision reflects a change in the way we operate,” according to Cannon. “This is not a judgment on individual Rioters or a signal that the journey is over. We are reshaping the team to give 2XKO a more sustainable path.”
February 9 update: Added details from a Riot spokesperson on the cuts.
