Riot confirms 2XKO layoffs as player numbers fall short

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Just under a month after its release on consoles, Riot Games has scaled back the team working on its free-to-play fighting game, 2XKO.

On February 9, 2026, Tom Cannon, the executive producer of 2XKO and co-founder of Evo, announced that the game wasn’t attracting enough players to justify the size of its development team.

We noticed some clear patterns when we brought 2XKO to consoles, in addition to PCs. While the game has a dedicated and enthusiastic fanbase, it hasn’t gained enough widespread popularity to justify the costs of maintaining a large development team in the long run.

Cannon also assured players that the recent layoffs won’t affect the game’s esports scene, and that the game will continue to be supported.

He confirmed that their plans for the 2026 Competitive Series are still the same. They will continue to work with tournament organizers and support local communities, focusing on helping the events and people who are already driving the fighting game community forward.

So, Cannon finished up by saying these layoffs aren’t a sign that 2XKO is getting cancelled or anything! It sounds like Riot is just reorganizing things to make sure the project can keep going strong in the long run. Basically, they’re trying to set it up for success!

Riot sparks FGC backlash after 2XKO staff layoffs

I was really shocked to see former 2XKO staff sharing on social media that they’d been laid off. Some of them said they found out they were being let go with only half an hour’s warning – it sounds awful!

One artist described 2XKO as a dream come true – the perfect studio and project. They loved animating characters for a fighting game alongside incredibly talented colleagues. They were deeply invested in their work, putting passion into every detail, and felt a sense of wonder watching the characters come to life.

Today I was laid off from Riot Games. Working on 2XKO was a dream come true – it was my ideal studio and project, letting me animate fighting game characters alongside incredibly talented people. I put everything I had into each animation, and seeing those characters move and come to life was truly special.

— Thomas (@thomashuynh_) February 9, 2026

The news has sparked a range of reactions, with many in the fighting game community worried about the future of the 2v2 tag fighter. The announcement of layoffs quickly spread online, even catching the attention of Mortal Kombat’s creator, Ed Boon, who encouraged fans to support the developers who were affected.

Support @Play2XKO team! Its a great game!

— Ed Boon (@noobde) February 9, 2026

Players had different opinions on why 2XKO didn’t become a huge hit. Some felt Riot Games was too focused on selling pricey character customizations, while others believed the game’s complicated and slow launch caused the initial excitement to fade.

After winning the Evo championship, Justin Wong expressed on X that he hopes 2XKO, a fighting game team, can rebound strongly, potentially leading to further growth within Riot Games.

This sucks and hopefully 2xko comes back super strong to make riot possibly grow the team again

— Justin Wong (@JWonggg) February 9, 2026

Leffen, another Super Smash Bros. champion, shared that he’s feeling down. He acknowledged that while the game ‘2XKO’ has issues, he believes it has a lot of promise, and he knows the developers put a great deal of effort into it.

I’m still optimistic the remaining team members will finish the game, but I really feel for those who lost their jobs.

I’m feeling really down right now. 2xko has a lot of issues, but it also has incredible potential, and I know the developers who worked on it were incredibly passionate. I still believe the remaining team can finish the game, but I feel terrible for everyone who lost their jobs.

— TSM Leffen (@TSM_Leffen) February 9, 2026

The job cuts happened just weeks after 2XKO became available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles on January 20, 2026. The game’s next competition, Genesis, is scheduled for February 13-15.

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2026-02-10 01:19