Riot Games is reducing the size of the 2XKO development team, just weeks after the game’s Season 1 launch and its release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The change was confirmed in an update from 2XKO’s executive producer, Tom Cannon.
The game’s producer said that the player engagement trends following the game’s expansion from PC to console weren’t strong enough to sustain the team at its current size long term, and this shift would allow for a more sustainable future.
Riot Games did not publish an exact headcount in the announcement, but according to the report by the website Game Developer, one of the producers has confirmed that the number of impacted roles is 80.
In the same update, Cannon said the goal is to move forward with a smaller, more focused group that can deliver key improvements to 2XKO, including items players have been asking for. Specific roadmap changes were not outlined, with the team saying more details on upcoming plans will be shared later.
The company will allow the impacted staff to apply to positions elsewhere within Riot. Those who won’t be able to find any opening or decide not to take up this opportunity will get 6 months of severance.
Tom Cannon said:
I want to be clear about something that matters deeply to me.
The people who helped ship 2XKO poured years of creativity, care, and belief into this game. Taking creative risks like this is hard, and the work they did is real and meaningful.
We’re committed to supporting impacted Rioters through 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.
Riot is aware that this is an extremely bad look. Tom Cannon himself said as much. But the company hasn’t said the project is winding down, and the message is the opposite. But layoffs this huge are never a good sign, and this downsizing is bound to have far-reaching consequences both internally and for the community perception.
So far, Riot hasn’t cancelled any of the previously announced tournaments and events, and Tom Cannon promises the collaborations with tournament organizers to continue. But it’s hard to believe that the parent company will put as much effort into sustaining or supporting the esports ecosystem of the project that was all but put in maintenance mode, not even a month after its release.
