Riot Games has announced a significant restructuring of the 2XKO development team, reducing its size by approximately 50% just weeks after the game’s full launch on January 20, 2026 . Executive Producer Tom Cannon confirmed the news on February 9, stating that while the game has attracted a passionate core audience, its overall momentum has not reached the level needed to sustain such a large team long-term .
Approximately 80 staff members are being removed from the project globally . Affected employees will receive six months of severance pay and assistance finding other roles within Riot Games where possible . Despite the workforce reduction, Riot insists 2XKO is not being cancelled and will continue with a smaller, more focused team .
Crucially, the 2026 Competitive Series will proceed as planned, and new champions Akali and Senna remain in active development . Here’s everything announced about the future of 2XKO.
Development Team Restructuring
The restructuring announcement came via a blog post on February 9, 2026, where Cannon explained that player engagement data showed the game’s trajectory wasn’t matching initial projections .
Tom Cannon, Executive Producer:
*”After multiple discussions and reflection, we’ve decided to reduce the size of the 2XKO team. The game has attracted a passionate core audience, but the overall momentum hasn’t reached the level needed to support such a large team long-term.”*
Former producer Patrick Miller shared on social media that affected staff received only “30 minutes’ notice” despite some having worked on the project for nearly a decade . The news comes amid ongoing workforce reductions across the esports industry, following layoffs at ESL FACEIT Group and 100 Thieves in late 2025 .
2026 Competitive Series Continues Unchanged
Despite the team reduction, Riot has confirmed that the 2XKO 2026 Competitive Series will proceed exactly as planned . The series features approximately 20 Riot-sanctioned tournaments worldwide, including 5 Major and 15 Challenger events .
Upcoming Major Events
| Event | Dates | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis X3 | February 13-15 | San Jose, California, USA |
| Texas Showdown | March 27-29 | Houston, Texas, USA |
| VIENNALITY | March 28-29 | Vienna, Austria |
| Evo Japan | May 1-3 | Tokyo, Japan |
| Combo Breaker | May 22-24 | Schaumburg, Illinois, USA |
| Battle Arena Melbourne | May 29-31 | Melbourne, Australia |
| Evo 2026 | June 26-28 | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| CEO | August 14-16 | Orlando, Florida, USA |
| Evo France | October 9-11 | Nice, France |
| Battle Coliseum | November 21-22 | São Paulo, Brazil |
New Champions: Akali & Senna Still Coming
In a Valentine’s Day developer update following the restructuring news, Riot confirmed that Akali and Senna remain in active development as the next champions for 2XKO .
Akali is described as a mobile melee assassin—a swift, precise ninja fighter designed for fast, execution-heavy gameplay . Senna offers a hybrid playstyle, wielding light and shadow abilities to combine long-range cannon attacks with wraith form close combat .
The development team also outlined three core pillars guiding future updates. First, Duo Play focuses on making the 2v2 tag-team experience more accessible, with a Local Duo Mode currently in prototyping that lets two players team up on the same screen . Second, Gameplay Refinement aims to preserve fast-paced combat with high skill ceilings while balancing the meta. Third, Community & Esports support continues for grassroots events and local tournament organizers .
Riot’s statement on development direction:
“We are establishing a smaller, more focused team to delve deeper and make key improvements to the game—including some things we’ve already heard the community asking for. We’ll share those plans soon.”
Player Reception & Community Response
Despite the restructuring news, 2XKO has received positive feedback from its core audience, with players praising the game’s fast-paced combat and faithful adaptation of League of Legends champions . Core gameplay is viewed positively, and champion designs are considered faithful adaptations well-received by the community. The team reduction news generated mixed concern but appreciation for Riot’s transparency. The unchanged esports commitment reassured the community about the game’s future.
Riot acknowledged that some systems need refinement, including ranked matchmaking issues affecting competitive fairness, screen tearing problems reported by console players, and balancing feedback on Yasuo and Ekko, whose strengths may not be sufficiently offset by weaknesses at high-level play .