Riot Games, the popular video game company behind titles, such as Valorant and League of Legends, has just announced its plans to lay off 530 (about 11%) of its workers, with majority coming outside of core development.
The downsizing efforts come in light of the company's plans to refocus on "fewer, high-impact projects to move us toward a more sustainable future.”
"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," Riot Games Founder Marc Merrill and CEO Dylan Jadeja shared in a joint statement.
Moving forward, the company will prioritize improving its core live games, particularly League of Legends, VALORANT, Teamfight Tactics and Wild Rift.
"We're prioritizing these teams so they can focus on the content, features and updates that directly respond to what you’ve been asking for. Expect events, modes, and long-term roadmaps that lead to vibrant (hopefully multi-decade) futures for these games," Merrill and Jadeja added.
Notably, Riot Games emphasized its progress with its new fighting game Project L, as well as the second season of its critically acclaimed show Arcane, which is set for a November release.
Riot Workers React to Layoffs
Many of the company's employees – affected or not – have aired their grievances regarding the news on X (formerly Twitter).
Elias, a former writer and content producer at Riot Games, shared the news of his layoff this morning.
While he was "very thankful for all the great Rioters" he has worked with, Elias also expressed his frustrations with the company.
I got hit. I'm very thankful for all the great Rioters I've worked with and that have given me great opportunities
— Elias LOOKING FOR WORK Inaty (@EliasTries) January 22, 2024
But this job and company were fucking killing me tbh so fuck it.
I'm gonna be angry today. I'll be nicer tomorrow https://t.co/K2mx32VU3T
Meanwhile, user Audrey (@_pocketknives) expressed their gratitude for the company. "I absolutely love my team and my heart goes out to everyone else impacted," they shared.
While majority of the gaming giant's employees mourned the layoffs, some praised the company for how it handled the situation.
To those affected by the layoffs, Riot Games will be providing a hefty severance package that includes at least six months of salary, an additional cash bonus, health benefits and more.
This is genuinely one of the nicest severance packages I’ve ever seen, layoffs are unfortunate but this is a wonderful gesture by riot in my opinion https://t.co/5HruzMm0yepic.twitter.com/RbMkwqRr4A
— Lumbogg (@lumbogg) January 23, 2024
TikTok Lays Off 60 Workers
Joining Riot Games in the new wave of layoffs is the video sharing platform TikTok, which announced that it would cut 60 jobs in an effort to reduce costs.
According to a spokesperson, these will impact workers from the company's sales and advertising teams, primarily those based in Los Angeles, New York, Austin and more.
The social media giant is slated to hold a company townhall on Tuesday in light of the announcement.
As of now, TikTok's U.S. workforce stands with a headcount of roughly 7,000 employees.
Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang