Riot Games Trims 11% of Global Workforce
Riot Games is now refocusing on fewer high-impact projects to ensure a more sustainable future.
Riot Games, the creator of League of Legends, has announced a workforce reduction of 530 employees, constituting about 11% of its total workforce.[1]
The move comes on the heels of a Game Developers Conference (GDC) survey revealing widespread anticipation of layoffs within the industry.
Riot Games is now refocusing on fewer high-impact projects to ensure a more sustainable future.
CEO Dylan Jadeja acknowledged in a company statement that some of the company's investments did not yield the expected results, prompting the strategic shift. Jadeja emphasized that these cuts are not solely to appease investors but are a strategic move to refocus on aspects that provide the most player value.
Minutes ago, we shared an important update with Rioters about the future of Riot Games. Here’s what these changes mean for our games and what players can expect from us going forward: https://t.co/SPjvtANGdK pic.twitter.com/WGSr6fkvjp
— Riot Games (@riotgames) January 22, 2024
Despite this intention, the industry has already witnessed over 3,800 job losses in 2024, according to a layoff tracker by Kotaku, signaling a broader impact on the gaming sector.
The affected employees will have meetings with their leads within 48 hours, with a minimum of six months of severance pay provided, along with additional benefits for longer-tenured staff.
The company is prioritizing its core live games, including League of Legends, Valorant, Teamfight Tactics, and Wild Rift, as well as esports and related events.
Notably, the in-development Project L 2D fighting game featuring League characters is progressing well, and season two of the Arcane TV show for Netflix is scheduled for release in November.
However, certain projects are directly impacted by these changes, such as the free-to-play card game Legends of Runeterra, which has not met performance expectations. The team behind it will be reduced and focused on the PvE game mode.
Additionally, Riot Forge, the publishing label aimed at collaborating with smaller studios for League-related titles, will be shut down after the release of Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story.
