Riot announced that it has significantly reduced the number of staff working on its free-to-play fighting game, 2XKO, less than a month after its official launch on consoles.
2XKO’s executive producer and Evo co-founder Tom Cannon announced the news in a public statement on February 9, 2026, explaining that the current size of the game’s playerbase didn’t match up to the size of the team working on it.
“As we expanded from PC to console, we saw consistent trends in how players were engaging with 2XKO,” he wrote. “The game has resonated with a passionate core audience, but overall momentum hasn’t reached the level needed to support a team of this size long term.”
Cannon also clarified that these layoffs will not impact plans for the game’s competitive circuit, and that support for the title itself is not ending.
“Our plans for the 2026 Competitive Series are unchanged,” he added. “We remain committed to partnering with tournament organizers and local communities. Our focus will continue to be on supporting the events and organizers that already power the FGC.”
Cannon wrapped up his statement by clarifying that the layoffs aren’t a “signal that the journey is over,” but rather that Riot is “reshaping the team to give 2XKO a more sustainable path forward.”
Riot sparks FGC backlash after 2XKO staff layoffs
Former staff members revealed they’d been let go on social media that same day, with some claiming they’d been axed from the 2XKO team with just 30 minutes’ notice.
“2XKO was everything I wanted – my dream studio, my dream project, animating fighting game characters with some of the best in the industry,” one said. “I poured my heart into every animation, every frame. Seeing those characters come alive was magic.”
Reactions to this news have been mixed, with many fearing the worst for the 2v2 tag fighter. The layoff announcement went viral within the fighting game community, even earning the response of Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon, who urged players to support the title’s former staff.
Some players blamed Riot for selling expensive cosmetics for characters as in-game purchases, while others argued that 2XKO’s lengthy and confusing launch killed the hype that should have made it one of the biggest fighting game releases of all time.
“This sucks, and hopefully 2XKO comes back super strong to make Riot possibly grow the team again,” Evo champion Justin Wong said on X.
“Man, I’m depressed,” fellow Evo champ Leffen wrote. “2XKO has a lot of problems, but it has so much f**king potential, and I know the people who worked on it were really fucking dedicated.
“I still have faith that the team left will get the game there eventually but I feel so bad for everyone who was let go.”
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