Riot Games cuts 2XKO development team in half – 80 developers laid off
Riot Games laid off roughly 80 developers from its 2XKO team – approximately half the project's staff – on February 9, just three weeks after the free-to-play 2v2 fighter's global launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series. Project director Tom Cannon explained the decision by noting that while the game resonated with a passionate core audience, overall player engagement didn't reach the level needed to support a team of this size long term.
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.
Riot offered laid-off developers a minimum of six months severance pay, opportunities to explore other positions within the company, and support during the transition period.
Affected employees shared emotional farewells on social media. Animator Thomas Huynh stated:
Got laid off from Riot today. 2XKO was everything I wanted – my dream studio, my dream project, animating fighting game characters with some of the best in the industry. I poured my heart into every animation, every frame.
On X, commenters sarcastically noted the game had multiple problems – for instance, it wasn't advertised within League of Legends itself, and both the name and controls raised questions.
Despite the layoffs, Riot plans to continue supporting the game with a smaller team, focusing on fixes and new features.
Plans for the 2026 Competitive Series remain unchanged – the company intends to partner with tournament organizers and local communities, supporting events that already power the fighting game scene.
