Riot Games Is Laying Off Round 80 2XKO Staff Three Weeks After The Game’s Launch

Riot Games is shedding workers on its 2XKO workforce, only a few weeks after the sport’s 1.0 launch on PC and consoles on January 20. The firm introduced this in a blog post, and although it would not share what number of workers are being laid off, a Riot spokesperson advised Game Developer that roughly 80 workers have been let go, which is round half of the sport’s growth workforce. 

As for why, Riot says that whereas 2XKO has resonated with a passionate core viewers, “overall momentum hasn’t reached the level needed to support a team of this size long term.” Despite the layoffs, Riot says it is dedicated to creating key enhancements to the sport and supporting its neighborhood by event organizers and native combating sport communities.

 “After a lot of discussion and reflection, we are reducing the size of the 2XKO team,” 2XKO govt producer Tom Cannon writes within the weblog publish. “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 within the weblog publish, including this determination displays a shift in how the workforce operates and is not 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 dedicated to serving to the affected workers by 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 workers are with everybody affected by these layoffs.