The layoffs follow 2XKO staff reductions from two weeks ago.
It’s been a rocky first quarter for some game developers. Riot Games, the studio behind League of Legends, VALORANT, 2XKO, Wild Rift, and Teamfight Tactics, has confirmed a small round of layoffs in its publishing division.
12 roles removed from the publishing division
According to a report by Game Developer, a company spokesperson confirmed that around 12 roles have been eliminated across three internal publishing teams, with the cuts spread across a handful of offices. They also clarified that the changes were part of broader internal adjustments, rather than a sweeping restructure. They added that the layoffs coincided with several “small team-by-team changes,” affecting a limited number of individuals, alongside the publishing reductions.
The publishing layoffs come just two weeks after Riot announced staff reductions for 2XKO. At that time, the studio revealed that “around 80 people were laid off in total,” representing roughly half of the fighter’s global development team.
Executive producer Tom Cannon said the game’s “overall momentum hasn’t reached the level needed to support a team of this size long term,” noting that growth and engagement had not met expectations, and that they’re looking toward “a more sustainable path forward.” Affected staff were offered a minimum of six months’ notice pay and severance if internal reassignment was not possible.
The company has not indicated any changes to live-service support or esports operations for its other titles following the publishing layoffs.
After the first wave of layoffs in the 2XKO team, Riot also confirmed that the 2026 Competitive Series for 2XKO, which includes five Majors and 15 Challenger events, will continue as planned. Then, less than a week after the 2XKO layoffs, the game introduced two new champions, Akali and Senna, as part of its upcoming content updates.
