Riot Games is downsizing the 2XKO development team less than a month after launch

Riot Games has just confirmed that it is reducing the size 2XKOdevelopment team. This announcement comes just three weeks after 2XKOFull version 1.0 for PC and consoles.

2XKOThe road to release was quite long. Already in 2019 it was announced as “Project L”, 2XKO The official title was given in August 2024, and Early Access launched on PC a little over a year later, in October 2025. 2XKO then received a full 1.0 release on January 20, 2026, landing on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S as a free-to-play fighting game with live service.

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The 2XKO development team is already facing layoffs

Just three weeks after full launch 2XKO developer/publisher Riot Games has made an official announcement regarding the fighting game's ongoing development. Posted on its official website on February 9, Riot Games confirms at the very beginning of its statement that it “reduces the size of 2XKO Executive producer Tom Cannon further explains the reasons behind this decision, saying:

“I want you to know that this decision was not made lightly. As we expanded from PC to consoles, we saw consistent trends in how players engaged with 2XKO. The game resonated with a passionate core audience, but the overall momentum did not reach the level needed to sustain a team of this size long-term.”

Cannon is quick to reassure fans that despite this news, it's not over 2XKOdevelopment. Cannon states that with a “smaller, focused team” Riot is still trying to deliver “key improvements” League of Legends fighting game, including some unspecified changes that fans have been asking for since launch. Cannon's statement also confirms that plans to 2XKOThe 2026 competition series remains unchanged. In their final statement regarding the rationale behind this downsizing, Cannon says they are “reshaping the team to give 2XKO a more sustainable path forward.”

Downsizing of course 2XKOThe development team led to layoffs. While Riot is “committed to supporting affected troublemakers during this transition” and aims to relocate them to other departments within the company where possible, this will not be the case for all employees. According to Tom Cannon's official statement, those who cannot be relocated will receive “a minimum of 6 months' notice and severance pay.” A Riot spokesperson has since told outlet Game Developer that approximately 80 workers have been let go, reportedly about half of the development team. The statement ends with a message of thanks for 2XKO community and a promise that Riot will continue to communicate with fans about how the game is developing in the near future.

Given that 2XKO has only been out for a few weeks, the news came as a bit of a surprise to many fans. This is especially true given that 2XKOpositive critical reception. After its January release, 2XKO it received a top critic average of 80 on OpenCritic, with 100% of critics recommending the game. Generally speaking, many critics praised 2XKOBold art style, basic tag combat mechanics, and game accessibility for newcomers to the genre. While some critics highlighted the game's small roster and several technical flaws as clear problems, most agreed that they could be fixed with post-launch updates.

Along with strong critical reception, 2XKO it also had strong brand awareness on its side, being a spinoff of one of the most popular multiplayer games of all time and directly related to the Netflix hype. Arcana. However, some fans think so 2XKOThe game's marketing could be the reason for the lack of “overall momentum”, with the game's title not clearly linking it to League of Legends or her Runeterra universe.