Riot Games Cuts Approximately 50% of Staff on Fighting Game 2XKO

The gaming sector continues to face job reductions, with Riot Games now revealing staff cuts for its duo-focused fighter 2XKO. A company spokesperson informed Game Developer that roughly 80 roles are being eliminated, representing about half of the project's international workforce.

Executive producer Tom Cannon explained in a company blog that during the transition from PC to console versions, certain patterns emerged in player interactions with 2XKO. While it has built a loyal following, the broader engagement levels fall short of justifying the current team scale for sustained development.

2XKO's console release occurred last month. Cannon emphasized that the staff reductions will not impact preparations for the 2026 esports calendar. Riot intends to reassign affected employees to available openings elsewhere in the organization when feasible.