Riot Games lays off staff to 'solve challenges and build for the future'

Update: A spokesperson for Riot Games confirmed 32 employees were let go. Of that number, 27 were active League of Legends developers, and five were from Riot's publishing division.

Original story: Developer Riot Games is eliminating staff, said co-founder Marc Merill.

Some roles have been cut within the League of Legends team. He explained the reductions are part of a long-term goal and "making sure we have the right expertise so that League continues to be great for another 15 years and beyond."

"This isn’t about reducing headcount to save money," he added. "We’re not slowing down work on the game you love. We’re investing heavily in solving today’s challenges faster while also building for the future."

Impacted Riot staff will be given a six-month (minimum) severance package and annual bonus, along with health coverage and job placement assistance.

Merrill's statement echoes that of Hi-Rez CEO Stewart Chisam. Earlier in October, the Smite studio conducted its own layoffs, with Chisam saying at the time these cuts would help it "ensure" the long-term success of Smite 2.

What's new with Riot Games this year

At the top of 2024, Riot laid off 530 employees, saying at the time it made big bets in recent years that failed to pay off. Its Riot Forge publishing label and the Legends of Runeterra team were severely impacted as a result.

Despite these new reductions, Merrill rationed the League of Legends team "will eventually be even larger than it is today" as Riot prepares for the MOBA's "next phase." The original game turns 15 years old in November.

At the moment, Riot's current League plans include the upcoming second (and final) season of Arcane on Netflix, and an MMO for the franchise announced back in 2020.

This past March, Merill revealed that project's development had been "reset," at the time saying it felt too similar to the main League of Legends game. The studio is aiming for it to feel like "significant evolution of the genre."

With new stewards for the unnamed MMO in place, Riot indicated it would not talk about the title for the next several years.