Riot Games has laid off some of the developers of the fighting game 2XKO amid the game’s modest results. Project producer Tom Cannon spoke about this, emphasizing that the decision was not made lightly, but is related to current performance and the need to make the development of the project more sustainable in the long term.
The official statement did not provide the exact number of people laid off, but some Media reports approximately 80 employees, which is about half of the total development team.
According to Cannon, 2XKO has developed a loyal and active audience, but overall audience growth and engagement levels have not been sufficient to sustain the team’s current scale in the long term. Ultimately, the decision was made to move to a small, tight-knit team that would focus on key improvements to the project, including changes that players had previously requested.
Despite the cuts, the developers plan to continue to cooperate with tournament organizers and participate in the development of the fighting game community. Cannon emphasized that the changes concern the structure of work on the game, and not the refusal to support and develop the project itself.
For laid-off employees, they will be provided with assistance in finding positions with other Riot Games teams or paid a minimum of six months’ salary if transfer is not possible.
