Riot Games confirms layoffs of 530 employees

Citing a report from VGC, Riot Games issued a rather detailed statement on their official website on Monday. The globally renowned game studio confirmed that they will be reducing their workforce by 530 people, approximately 11% of their current staff. However, Riot Games also assured that this reduction would not involve the core development teams, so players of “League of Legends” and “Valorant” need not worry about any impact on their favorite games.

“For most of our history, we’ve managed to avoid days like this, but this decision is critical for the future of Riot,” the company said in a statement. “This isn’t to appease shareholders or to hit a quarterly earnings number—it’s a necessity.

“Over the past few years, as Riot more than doubled in headcount, we spread our efforts across more and more projects without sharp enough razors to decide what players needed most.

“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.”

As part of these changes, Riot Games will concentrate on internal development and support for “League of Legends,” “Valorant,” “Teamfight Tactics,” and “Wild Rift.” “Legends of Runeterra” will see a reduction in team size and development scope due to financial reasons. Additionally, Riot Games will conclude Riot Forge after the release of “Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story.”

“We’re proud of what we’ve done together to bring these stories to life, but it’s time to refocus our efforts on the ambitious projects underway internally at Riot,” the company expressed in conclusion.