Riot Games has announced layoffs affecting its pair-based fighting game 2XKO, marking another round of job cuts in the gaming industry.
A Riot spokesperson confirmed to Game Developer that around 80 employees are being laid off. The reductions account for roughly half of 2XKO’s global development team.
Why Did it Happen?
In a blog post, executive producer Tom Cannon said the decision followed an internal review of player engagement after the game expanded from PC to consoles.
Cannon said the game has attracted a committed core audience but has not built enough overall momentum to justify maintaining the current team size over the long term.
Competitive Plans Unchanged
2XKO launched on consoles last month. Cannon said Riot’s plans for the game’s competitive season in 2026 remain unchanged despite the layoffs.
He also said the company will try to place affected employees into other roles within Riot where possible.
