Riot Games, the development studio behind League of Legends, has announced that it will be laying off around 530 staff – 11% of its workforce – due to an unsustainable number of projects. In a heartfelt statement written by Riot CEO Dylan Jadeja, he explains that the company’s recent growth and expansion has not turned the profit the company needed to continue at its current size.
“This is absolutely the last thing we ever wanted to do.” Jadeja’s statement to Rioters reads. “A decision like this has a massive impact on people’s lives and on the culture of Riot. We’re not doing this to appease shareholders or to hit some quarterly earnings number – we’ve made this decision because it’s a necessity.”
The roles affected are mostly outside core development teams, according to the statement. Employees who cannot be given a new role will receive a notice period in line with local labour laws, at least 6 months of severance pay, continued health benefits, and career support.
In a separate statement, Riot has explained that it will be refocusing on its live service games like League of Legends, Valorant, Teamfight Tactics, and Wild Rift. Legends of Runeterra’s team will be reduced following the layoffs, and will now focus on The Path of Champions. Sadly, Riot Forge will be ending video game publication after its upcoming project, Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story, releases.
2023 was a devastating year for layoffs within the gaming industry, and 2024 is expected to continue the trend. Already, layoffs have hit Discord, Twitch, and Unity, and it’s only January.
About the Author
Edie W-K
she/her
If it isn't video games, Edie doesn't care about it. She's been playing games since the N64 era, and only spent enough time away from her 3DS to earn a Bachelor in Games Design from RMIT.
