Riot Games announced Monday that it has laid off around 80 employees working on 2XKO, its recently released fighting game.
In a blog post, the company, which also makes League of Legends and Valorant, said that these cuts to the 2KXO team were part of an effort to have a tighter focus on development and its competitive plans going forward.
The news was delivered in a blog post signed by Tom Cannon, the executive producer of 2XKO at Riot Games.
“I want you to know that decision wasn’t made lightly,” Cannon wrote. “As we expanded from PC to console, we saw consistent trends in how players were engaging with 2XKO. 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.”
Separately, The Esports Advocate has heard from sources familiar with the situation that Riot was dissatisfied with the reception of the game when it was released in January.
Cannon also noted plans going forward on updating the game and its competitive plans for 2026.
“Our plans for the 2026 Competitive Series are unchanged. We remain committed to partnering with tournament organizers and local communities. Our focus will continue to be on supporting the events and organizers that already power the FGC.”
Finally, Cannon said that Riot will help those workers who have been let go with support including “6 [six] months of notice pay and severance,” and the ability to take on existing roles within Riot where possible.
Riot’s free-to-play 2v2 fighting game officially launched on Jan. 20 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC.