The development team for 2XKO fighting game project has been reduced by Riot Games because player activity has not met their projected levels following its PC launch and subsequent console release. The company announced that layoffs would affect approximately 80 developers who make up half of its development team. The company confirmed that affected employees would receive internal job possibilities when available and they would get at least six months of severance or notice pay while game development continues with a reduced development team.
The development team for 2XKO fighting game project has undergone dramatic changes. The news announcement from Riot Games contains brutal information. The game already released on PC and console but the company believes they have not achieved expected player growth. The company decided to reduce its development staff because they experienced a decrease in player numbers. The first half of the year will be dedicated to recruitment while they operate with a smaller team size.
The tweet from Riot laid it all out pretty clear – around 80 devs are getting hit which is like half the whole team working on 2XKO. The organization will lose a significant section of its workforce. The organization will attempt to assign employees to other positions within the company while they provide staff members six months of salary which one gamer described as better than what other game studios usually provide their employees. Arinze explained that six months of severance pay represents an industry standard which benefits employees. The workers who will lose their jobs must still go through a difficult process but their situation has improved through the company’s choice to provide them with better assistance.
The timing. The timing creates an extremely negative situation. Pandax replied saying, “Layoffs right after launch when the game is barely out of the gate feel ruthless and poorly timed.” The team makes an important argument about their point. The game must undergo an expansion process which requires additional resources. The organization needs to reevaluate its internal goals because it has experienced severe performance failures.
Riot developers expected 2XKO to become popular but its actual performance failed to meet their expectations. Players shared numerous theories about the game in their responses. The roster size created a significant problem for the game developers. Mike (quietmickies) wanted to understand how 160 people took ten years to develop a game which contained only 12 characters. The player community shared the developers’ commentary about the game. Sir Render stated the game needed more characters while he criticized its monetization system by calling the in-game shop “abysmal.” He believed the developers failed to execute the free-to-play system because modern fighting games require more development time than free-to-play games.
The game requires players to engage in interactive play. Riot Games decided to create a game with easy accessibility for all players yet this approach backfired on them. Murasaki (Starscream515) stated that the game needs to become accessible to everyone who can play with basic skills. Kyo expressed his dislike for fighting games which lack input. The developers of the game decreased its core fighting game functions because they wanted to attract more players.
The game needs better… visibility. Lovelymuffins_ dropped a bomb that probably stung at Riot HQ: “Didn’t even know the game came out. Thought people playing it was a beta.” Ouch. If hardcore gamers following fighting news didn’t realize it was fully launched that’s a massive marketing problem. Steve Jefferson put it simply: “Fighting games live and die by the look of their characters.Their characters just didn’t look good enough for people to try the game.”
The community reaction is a real mix of frustration and resignation. Some members of the community believe fighting games require too much specialization therefore tag fighters who are even more specialized should not be played in this game since it is a stupid concept. Users who play fighting games will remain confused about the project because all they see is confusion. The module testing process has entered a state of failure according to kaosblatte. Grant believes the project will recover through an “EVO bounce back” while others show disappointment with its current situation. Twitter users create chaotic replies which attribute all faults to “DEI slop” or to Donald Trump which creates an unusual response.
Riot says the game isn’t dead. The company will continue operations with a “smaller, focused team” which will concentrate on developing requested player features. Their 2026 competitive series plans will continue as scheduled according to their announcement. The organization decided to stop operating its business because it needs to reduce its scale. The organization decided to stop operating its business because it needs to reduce its scale.
The current situation shows everyone about the serious difficulties facing fighting games through even the most powerful organizations. The company needs to develop a game which can meet industry standards for competence. The game needs three essential elements which include an extensive character roster and a fair monetization system that users can understand and the game must have marketing strategies to inform every user about PlayStation and Xbox
