Riot Games has laid off 80 2XKO developers as the game couldn't reach the momentum it needed to support a big team.
Riot's free-to-play fighting game, 2XKO, which finally made its way to PlayStation and Xbox platforms in January 2026, is already imploding, as just a few weeks after the launch, on February 9, around 80 developers were laid off.
Here's what the Executive Producer for 2XKO, Tom Cannon, had to say about the lay-offs:
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. 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.
For players who don't know, 2XKO launched in early access on PC via the game's dedicated client on October 7, 2025.
Since then, during its early access phase, the game failed to leave a mark on the fighting games scene. Riot definitely expected that to change with the 1.0 and console launch, followed by the planned tournaments in 2026.
However, a few weeks into the launch, as per Riot Games, 2XKO still failed to reach the "momentum" they were expecting.
On this note, we want to highlight that 2XKO was the third most downloaded game on PS4 and PS5, even surpassing new launches like Highguard, made by the developers behind Apex Legends and Titanfall.
For the affected devs, here is what Cannon had to say
We’re committed to supporting impacted Rioters through this transition - including helping them explore opportunities within Riot where possible, and providing a minimum of 6 months of notice pay and severance where it’s not.
Ten years on 2XKO, 12 at Riot and I got laid off with 30min notice lol Gonna take some time.
— Smokage of the Burning Leaf (@pattheflip.bsky.social) 2026-02-09T19:45:23.872Z
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. Seeing those characters come alive was magic.
— Thomas (@thomashuynh_) February 9, 2026
As for the future of 2XKO, Cannon said:
With a smaller, focused team, we’re going to dig in and make key improvements to the game, including some of the things we’ve already heard you asking for. We’ll share some of our plans soon.
Our plans for the 2026 Competitive Series are unchanged. We remain committed to partnering with tournament organizers and local communities. Our focus will continue to be on supporting the events and organizers that already power the FGC.