Riot Games Reduces Workforce by 80 as League of Legends Spinoff 2XKO Launches, Aiming for Sustainable Growth

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The League of Legends spinoff fighting game 2XKO officially launched on January 20, but just three weeks later, Riot has laid off several developers.

Reports indicate that around 80 employees have been affected, as executive producer Tom Cannon shared in an announcement regarding “an important update on 2XKO.”

“As we transitioned from PC to console, we noticed consistent trends in player engagement with 2XKO,” Cannon stated. “While the game has found a dedicated core audience, the overall momentum hasn’t been sufficient to sustain a team of this size in the long run.” He reassured fans, “This isn’t a reflection on individual team members or an indication that the project is finished. We’re restructuring the team to create a more sustainable future for 2XKO.”

Cannon acknowledged the hard work of those involved, saying, “The team that brought 2XKO to life invested years of creativity, dedication, and passion into this project. Taking creative risks is challenging, and their contributions are significant.” He also mentioned that Riot is committed to helping laid-off staff find new roles within the company “where possible” and will provide at least six months of notice pay and severance where necessary.

In the meantime, Patrick Miller, a former Riot developer with 12 years at the studio, including a decade on 2XKO, shared that he was let go with just 30 minutes’ notice.

“Gonna take some time,” he posted on Bluesky.

Cannon offered little reassurance, stating in his announcement, “I know this update will raise questions and concerns. That’s understandable. We’ll keep you informed about how things are progressing.”

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Yesterday, League of Legends was completely down unless players reset their system clocks, as Riot forgot to update a security certificate.