2XKO’s Layoffs Is Bad News for 2026’s Most Promising Fighting Game

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Riot Games recently announced layoffs affecting the team working on 2XKO, the fighting game featuring characters from League of Legends. This news is unexpected, as the game only launched on consoles less than three weeks ago. While the reasons for the team downsizing are unclear, reducing the game’s development resources raises concerns about its future.

Since its initial release on PC in late 2025, the game 2XKO has received a lot of criticism. Players appreciated the unique and in-depth 2v2 gameplay, but it struggled to find the right balance between easy-to-learn controls and the complexity needed for advanced combos. The biggest issue for many, however, was the high price of cosmetic items in the game, which some believe may be connected to recent company layoffs.

Riot Games Announced Many Layoffs From The 2XKO Team Only Two Weeks After Launch

Riot Games has stated that the recent layoffs affecting the 2XKO team are because the game isn’t growing as quickly as they hoped, and can’t currently justify maintaining a team of its size. This is particularly upsetting because many of the developers working on 2XKO are long-time, well-respected members of the fighting game community. Although the core 2XKO team isn’t completely gone, some key people who were responsible for the game’s current characters have been laid off.

The most surprising part of these layoffs is how quickly they happened, coming just a week or two after the game’s release. While Riot says a dedicated group of players enjoyed the game, it seems player numbers weren’t high enough to sustain the development team. Despite this, Riot insists their plans for 2026 remain mostly on track, and they’ll continue with scheduled competitions and partnerships throughout the year.

Riot Games is restructuring the team behind 2XKO, moving towards a smaller, more focused group. They state this change is meant to create a more stable future for the game, but it follows indications that the current approach isn’t working well. Affected developers are being offered new roles within Riot or severance packages, but the layoffs have significantly dampened enthusiasm for the fighting game, especially considering the nearly ten years spent developing it with the now-affected team members.

Continued 2026 Support Will Likely Be Far Less Than What Fans Expected

Riot has said they’ll continue supporting the competitive scene through 2026, but it’s uncertain what that will look like in the future. They’ll probably still work with big tournaments like Combo Breaker and EVO, but it’s possible Riot will sponsor fewer smaller 2XKO events over time. This could lead to reduced support for the game in other areas as well.

Based on fan reactions, a major concern with these layoffs is that Riot Games may not be as committed to supporting 2XKO as they previously indicated, especially considering its connection to the fighting game community. With a smaller team, it will likely be more challenging for the developers to create new content, maintain regular updates, and ensure the game continues to improve and grow.

Fewer Characters & Updates From Lack Of Riot Resources Could Kill This 10+ Year Project

If fewer developers work on 2XKO, it could significantly slow down the game’s development. This means fewer new characters might be added, and it could be harder to make the necessary adjustments to keep the game balanced and engaging for players. 2XKO already has a limited selection of fighters—only 12 out of over 170 from League of Legends—and fans had hoped this would improve. However, with a smaller development team, adding more fighters will be much more challenging.

It really stinks hearing about the layoffs at 2XKO, especially because you could tell how much passion went into making the game. Sure, people had issues with the prices of skins or how the in-game store worked, and the character list wasn’t huge, but you couldn’t deny how polished the game felt. Each character was really deep and had a ton to learn, and the whole thing just looked amazing – it was a super exciting fighting game when it came out.

This fighting game has evolved significantly over the past decade, starting as a free-to-play title called Rising Thunder and going through development as Project L and then 2XKO. Despite all this work and dedication, the recent layoffs are a major setback, raising concerns about the game’s future and whether Riot Games had reasonable expectations for its success, especially given its unusual approach to how players would spend money. Regardless of the reason, losing the team behind 2XKO is disappointing for a game that clearly benefited from a lot of passion and effort.

What do you believe led to layoffs within the 2XKO team? Share your thoughts in the comments or discuss it on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-02-11 20:47