Riot Games announces layoffs for 'more sustainable future'

MANILA Philippines – League of Legends and Valorant developer Riot Games announced an 11% (530- employee) global layoff across different tiles as it shifts focus to “high-impact projects”.

It is a move that the company hopes could lead to “a more sustainable future”.

The news comes after major game companies like Ubisoff and Epic Games and a handful of gaming and esports companies announced massive layoffs last year until the early days of 2024.

In a letter to their players and employees, Riot Games CEO Dylan Jadeja shared how the company had made huge gambles since 2019, with their focus on giving their players' the best experience inside and outside the game.

"We jumped headfirst into creating new experiences and broadening our portfolio, and grew quickly as we became a multi-game, multi-experience company. Today, we’re a company without a sharp enough focus, and simply put, we have too many things underway. Some of the significant investments we’ve made aren’t paying off the way we expected them to. Our costs have grown to the point where they’re unsustainable," said Jadeja.

Aside from the layoffs, Riot Games also announced the downsizing of the team behind Legends of Runeterra and the sunset of Riot Forge, the company's indie game development arm.

Jadeja reaffirmed the developers' commitment to their core titles — League of Legends, Valorant, Teamfight Tactics and Wild Rift — and stressed their focus on integrating esports, music and entertainment for their titles.

"Our strategy moving forward is clear: we’re honing in on what we do best and what resonates most with you. Every endeavor, from development to storytelling to competition, will be crafted to deliver meaningful, memorable experiences with games at the center," added Jadeja.