Riot Games officially canceled the development of its fighting game project, '2XKO', accompanied by the layoff of 80 employees associated with the project, according to an internal company memo leaked to industry news outlets on September 1, 2026. The decision follows a strategic review of the company long-term product roadmap.
The cancellation affects all teams currently assigned to the fighting game initiative. Affected employees are being offered severance packages and transition support per company policy outlined in the internal communication.
A Riot Games spokesperson stated in the leaked memorandum on September 1, 2026, "We have made the difficult decision to end development on 2XKO to refocus our resources on our core live-service titles and long-term strategic priorities."
The total financial write-down associated with the cancellation of the 2XKO project has not been publicly disclosed by Riot Games or its parent corporation, Tencent Holdings.
The decision mirrors the 2025 cancellation of Project L iterations by other major studios, reflecting a broader industry trend of prioritizing established live-service intellectual property over new, unproven titles in development.
Former employees and industry commentators on social media platforms criticized the timing of the layoffs, noting that the fighting game project was in advanced stages of development prior to the cancellation.
The 80 affected employees face immediate job displacement, while the broader gaming community loses a highly anticipated title in the competitive fighting game genre.
