Riot Games has announced a significant restructuring, laying off around 80 employees, roughly half of its global development team for the pair-based fighting game 2XKO, following the game’s console launch last month.
The decision comes after the company observed consistent trends in how players were engaging with 2XKO as it expanded from PC to console. According to Executive Producer Tom Cannon, who detailed the reasoning in a blog post, the game has resonated with a passionate core audience, but overall momentum hasn’t reached the level needed to support a team of this size long term.
Riot confirmed the details to Game Developer, with Cannon stating that despite the layoffs, the company’s plans for the 2026 competitive season remain unchanged. The company is committed to supporting the game and its competitive scene. In an effort to minimize the impact on affected employees, Riot will attempt to reassign them to new positions within the company where possible.
