Riot Games is drastically downsizing the 2XKO development team as part of a move to make the project more sustainable, with some staff possibly shifting to other Riot roles and others receiving six months of severance.

Riot’s 2026 Competitive Series will proceed as planned, with ongoing support for tournaments, organizers, and local fighting game communities.

The game had a passionate core audience but failed to gain enough momentum to justify a larger team and broader market appeal.

Readers are invited to share their opinions on 2XKO and whether they have played the game.

The piece places 2XKO in a broader industry context, noting concerns about roster size, fair monetization, and effective marketing to attract a wider audience in fighting games.

Fans have criticized 2XKO for being marketed as casual yet possessing procedural complexity and punishing mechanics that may deter broader appeal.

Industry and player reaction is mixed, with questions about live-service confidence but some optimism for focused updates to 2XKO.

Labor and regulatory considerations loom, including labor protections, potential regulatory scrutiny due to Tencent ownership, and unionization discussions in game development.

Public reaction has been largely critical, with sympathy for workers and criticism of management timing circulating across social media and industry outlets.

Community discussions point to whether the niche genre and monetization strategy contributed to slow adoption and layoffs.

2XKO launched in Early Access on PC in October 2025 and fully released for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC in late January 2026, marking Riot’s expansion beyond League of Legends.

The game debuted in early access on PC before expanding to consoles, signaling Riot’s strategic push beyond its flagship title.