Riot Games Slashes 80 Positions from 2XKO Development Team
Riot Games has announced significant workforce reductions affecting the development team behind 2XKO, its free-to-play 2v2 fighting game set in the League of Legends universe. The company is eliminating roughly 80 jobs, which amounts to nearly half of the game's global development team. This dramatic cut comes barely three weeks after 2XKO reached its 1.0 release on January 20, marking a challenging start for the highly anticipated title.
Executive Producer Confirms Layoffs in Blog Post
Executive producer Tom Cannon confirmed the layoffs in a detailed blog post, explaining that while the game has cultivated a dedicated fanbase, it hasn't attracted enough players to sustain the current team size. "Overall momentum hasn't reached the level needed to support a team of this size long term," Cannon wrote. He emphasized that a smaller, more focused team will now concentrate on implementing key improvements to the game, with specific details expected to be announced soon.
Support Measures for Affected Employees
Riot Games has outlined support measures for the affected employees. Those impacted by the layoffs will have the opportunity to apply for other roles within the company. Employees who cannot be placed internally will receive a comprehensive severance package, including six months of notice pay along with additional severance benefits, demonstrating the company's commitment to supporting its workforce during this transition.
A Decade-Long Journey with Rapid Struggles
The development of 2XKO has been a lengthy process spanning nearly a decade. Riot Games first teased the project as "Project L" back in 2019, though its origins trace even further to Riot's 2016 acquisition of Radiant Entertainment. After undergoing a closed beta phase, the game entered early access on PC in October 2025 before expanding to consoles last month. The fact that Riot has halved the development team just 20 days after the full launch speaks volumes about the game's performance challenges, especially since 2XKO isn't available on Steam, making public player counts difficult to scrutinize.
Broader Context of Riot's Strategic Shifts
This isn't the first round of layoffs at Riot Games. The company previously laid off 530 employees in early 2024 when it shuttered its Riot Forge indie publishing label, followed by additional cuts in October of that year. CEO Dylan Jadeja has indicated that Riot is shifting toward a strategy focused on "fewer, high-impact projects" after several major investments since 2019 failed to deliver expected returns. Despite the reduced headcount, Riot Games has confirmed that its plans for the 2XKO 2026 Competitive Series remain unchanged, suggesting ongoing support for the game's competitive ecosystem.
