Riot is best known for its multiplayer strategy (MOBA) game League of Legends, but it has also delved into other genres in recent years. One of those turned out to be a fighting experience. Simply dubbed 2XKO, the free-to-play game launched in January 2026 featuring League characters as fighters. However, it doesn't look like Riot is happy with its release or growth during the past month.
In a blog post discussing the future of the newly released game, Riot revealed that the development team of 2XKO is being reduced. While the studio did not share exact numbers, according to Game Developer, around 80 employees are being let go from Riot as a part of the change. This amounts to at least half the team that was working on the project.
In a post on Bluesky, Riot producer Patrick Miller claimed that after working 10 years on the game, the company laid him off "with 30min notice."
"I want you to know that decision wasn’t made lightly. As we expanded from PC to console, we saw consistent trends in how players were engaging with 2XKO," said 2XKO executive producer Tom Cannon today. "The game has resonated with a passionate core audience, but overall momentum hasn’t reached the level needed to support a team of this size long term."
Despite the massive cuts, Riot says that 2XKO isn't going away. According to the company, the "smaller, focused team" will help in making improvements to the game, including major community requests. No exact plans have been released yet for these future updates. It also confirmed that the upcoming 2026 Competitive Series of tournaments will continue as planned.
"This isn’t a judgment on individual Rioters or a signal that the journey is over," added Riot. "We’re reshaping the team to give 2XKO a more sustainable path forward."
2XKO is available across PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 for free.
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