Riot Games is laying off employees on its 2XKO team, just a few weeks after the game’s 1.0 launch on PC and consoles on January 20. The company announced this in a blog post, and though it doesn’t share how many employees are being laid off, a Riot spokesperson told Game Developer that approximately 80 employees were let go, which is around half of the game’s development team.
As for why, Riot says that while 2XKO has resonated with a passionate core audience, “overall momentum hasn’t reached the level needed to support a team of this size long term.” Despite the layoffs, Riot says it’s committed to making key improvements to the game and supporting its community through tournament organizers and local fighting game communities.
“After a lot of discussion and reflection, we are reducing the size of the 2XKO team,” 2XKO executive producer Tom Cannon writes in the blog post. “I want you to know that decision wasn’t made lightly. As we expanded from PC to console, we saw consistent trends in how players were engaging with 2XKO. The game hasn’t resonated with a passionate core audience, but overall momentum hasn’t reached the level needed to support a team of this size long term. With a smaller, focused team, we’re going to dig in and make key improvements to the game, including some of the things we’ve already heard you asking for. We’ll share some of our plans soon.”
Riot’s plans for the 2026 Competitive Series are unchanged, Cannon writes in the blog post, adding this decision reflects a shift in how the team operates and isn’t a “judgment on individual Rioters or a signal that the journey is over. We’re reshaping the team to give 2XKO a more sustainable path forward.”
Cannon writes that Riot is committed to helping the affected employees through this transition, “including helping them explore opportunities within Riot where possible, and providing a minimum of 6 months of notice pay and severance where it’s not.”
The hearts of Game Informer staff are with everyone affected by these layoffs.
