Riot Games has confirmed significant layoffs affecting its League of Legends fighting game 2XKO, cutting roughly half of the game’s global development team just months after its wider release. The move follows internal assessments that player engagement and overall momentum have not met expectations needed to sustain a larger team long term.
— Riot Games (@riotgames) February 9, 2026
The decision was outlined in a public statement from 2XKO executive producer Tom Cannon, who described the change as a difficult but deliberate shift rather than a signal that the game is being abandoned.
Riot Confirms Team Reduction On 2XKO
In his message to the community, Cannon said Riot is “reducing the size of the 2XKO team” after reviewing how players engaged with the game following its expansion from PC to console. While 2XKO has found what he described as a passionate core audience, overall growth has not reached the level Riot needs to support the original team size over time.
With a smaller and more focused team, Riot plans to concentrate on improving key parts of the game, including issues the community has already been vocal about. Cannon added that more details on these improvements will be shared in the future.
Around 80 Developers Impacted By Layoffs
According to reporting from Game Developer, a Riot Games spokesperson confirmed that approximately 80 employees were laid off as part of the restructuring. That figure represents around half of 2XKO’s global development staff.
Riot stated that affected developers will be given opportunities to apply for other roles within the company. Those who are unable to transition internally will receive a minimum of six months’ notice pay and severance, which Cannon described as a priority during the process.
Competitive Plans Remain Unchanged
Despite the scale of the layoffs, Riot stressed that support for 2XKO is continuing. Cannon confirmed that plans for the 2026 Competitive Series are unchanged, with Riot remaining committed to working alongside tournament organisers and local fighting game communities.
The studio framed the decision as a shift in operations rather than a judgment on the developers who worked on the game, emphasising that the team behind 2XKO invested years of creative effort into bringing it to life.
Community Reaction Highlights Frustration
The announcement sparked immediate backlash across social media, with many players questioning why layoffs happened so early in the game’s life. Common criticisms focused on limited marketing, a small launch roster, controversial skin pricing, and a perception that management decisions, not developer effort, were responsible for the game’s slow traction.
Others argued that releasing a tag fighter aimed heavily at Arcane fans, while overlooking broader fighting game community preferences, hurt 2XKO’s ability to attract a wider audience. Several players also pointed to the console launch timing and shop structure as missed opportunities.
A Long Development Road And An Uncertain Future
2XKO has been in development in some form for nearly a decade, dating back to Riot’s 2016 acquisition of Radiant Entertainment, the studio founded by the Cannon brothers. That long gestation has made the current situation particularly jarring for fans who expected a longer runway before major cuts.
Riot insists the game is not being shelved, but the layoffs underline the pressure facing even large studios when new titles struggle to find momentum quickly.
For now, 2XKO continues with a smaller team, unchanged competitive plans, and a clear mandate to prove its long-term viability. Whether those promised improvements can rebuild confidence, both inside the studio and within the fighting game community, is the question that now hangs over Riot’s newest fighter.