Riot Games has shared via a blog post that it has reduced the size of the development team behind 2XKO, its upcoming tag-based fighting game set in the League of Legends universe. The announcement was shared by executive producer Tom Cannon, who cited slower-than-expected player momentum following the game’s expansion from PC to consoles, on January 20, 2026.
According to Cannon, while 2XKO has connected with a dedicated core audience, overall engagement trends did not justify maintaining the team at its previous size over the long term. Riot says development will continue with a smaller, more focused team aimed at refining the game and addressing community feedback. While Tom Cannon didn’t mention the number of employees that were terminated, Game Developer, has revealed that roughly 80 employees were let go.
Despite the layoffs, Riot has emphasized that its competitive plans remain unchanged. The 2026 Competitive Series is still moving forward, with continued support for tournament organizers and grassroots fighting game communities.
The company also stressed that the decision is not a reflection of individual developers. Riot stated it will support affected employees by helping them explore internal opportunities where possible, and by providing at least six months of notice pay and severance when it is not.
Now, prior to this the fighting game community had already expressed skepticism surrounding 2XKO, and that had been growing for some time. Some players have questioned whether the game does enough to stand out in an increasingly crowded genre, raising concerns that it could be overshadowed by other upcoming fighting titles. Or that being a free-to-play title was the right move. And with the recent round of layoffs, that discourse is going to be even louder.
Riot says it will share more details on upcoming changes to 2XKO in the future, as development continues under a leaner structure. Regardless, things aren’t looking good for the title.
Source: Riot Games
