Riot Games lays off 530 people as it focuses on high-impact projects

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Riot Games cofounder and chief product officer Marc Merrill, along with CEO Dylan Jadeja, have announced in a post that the company has laid off 530 people. Riot Games is famous for its League of Legends and Valorant games. The decision was driven by a need to refocus the company on high-impact projects that will lead to a more sustainable future. They join a growing list of companies that have laid off thousands of people in the past year as the game market struggles.

The layoffs highlight the fact that even large companies with hit games, like Riot, are not immune from industry challenges. Some of the areas affected by the layoffs include Riot Forge, which publishes non-Riot games in the League of Legends universe, and Legends of Runeterra.

In a blog post, the leaders stated, “For most of our history, we’ve managed to avoid days like this, but this decision is critical for the future of Riot. This isn’t to appease shareholders or to hit a quarterly earnings number—it’s a necessity.”
“The adjustments we’re making aim to focus us on the areas that have the greatest impact on your experience while reducing investment on things that don’t.”

The layoffs represent about 11% of the staff, leaving Riot Games with close to 4,500 remaining employees. The company will be focusing on core live games – League of Legends, Valorant, Teamfight Tactics, and Wild Rift. The goal is to prioritize these teams to respond directly to the needs and wants of the players. In addition, Riot Games will integrate esports, music, and entertainment more tightly with the games to enrich the player experience. There are also exciting upcoming projects, such as Project L and Arcane Season 2, that are in the pipeline and expected to be released later this year.