February 10, 2026

Riot Games has laid off roughly 80 employees from the team building 2XKO, the League of Legends-themed fighting game, cutting what the company described as about half of its global development group. The decision lands as another reminder of how unforgiving the post-launch math has become, even for projects backed by one of the industry’s most powerful publishers.

In a message to players, executive producer Tom Cannon said Riot had decided to reduce the size of the team after reviewing engagement patterns as the game expanded from PC to console. The studio’s assessment was blunt: 2XKO has found a dedicated base, but it has not built the broader pull required to sustain a large, long-term live development structure.

The studio’s wording carries a familiar rhythm for an industry increasingly governed by retention curves and conversion funnels. A passionate community can keep a game alive, but it may not keep a large team employed if growth plateaus early. For publishers, the question quickly becomes whether continuing to invest at the original staffing level still makes sense when the audience stabilises rather than accelerates.

Riot is not walking away from the game. Cannon said the project will continue under a “smaller, focused team” working on key improvements, and the company intends to maintain ties with fighting game tournament organisers and local scenes. The pitch is continuity with sharper priorities: fewer people, narrower scope, and a roadmap built to last instead of one built to sprint.

The layoffs also put a spotlight back on 2XKO’s long arc. Riot acquired Radiant Entertainment in 2016, a studio founded by Tom and Tony Cannon, and the team spent years iterating on a fighting game that eventually emerged as 2XKO. A decade-long journey can create technical depth and community trust, but it can also raise expectations inside a company that is accustomed to games reaching massive scale.

For the employees affected, Riot said staff will be able to apply for other jobs within the company. Those who do not secure internal roles will receive a minimum of six months pay and severance, a package that reflects Riot’s attempt to soften the immediate blow even as it tightens its long-term costs.

A single project restructure rarely stays contained in meaning. Fighting games, in particular, can be culturally loud while remaining commercially narrow, with competitive scenes that thrive even when the wider audience is smaller than publishers hoped. Riot’s move suggests it believes 2XKO can still earn a future, but only on terms that match what the player base is proving it will be.

Riot’s full statement on the team changes is published in its official update, An Update on 2XKO.