In League of Legends, there are many layoffs. Still, the goal is to become faster and better – isn’t that a contradiction?
The last few years have been quite disappointing for many developers in the video game industry, as almost all major companies have experienced waves of layoffs. Roles are being cut everywhere, and developers are losing their jobs. This trend doesn’t seem to be stopping, as Riot Games, the developer behind “League of Legends” and “Valorant,” is also facing layoffs again.
A second season of the series Arcane is also launching soon:
What has been announced? On X, Marc Merrill, one of the co-founders of Riot, announced that they have some “important updates” for League of Legends. However, these updates are not primarily about the game itself but rather about the number of employees. The developer is cutting some positions, resulting in layoffs. The post states.
As part of these changes, we have made the difficult decision to eliminate certain roles. This is not about reducing the number of people to save money; it’s about ensuring that we have the right expertise so that League of Legends can continue to be great for the next 15 years and beyond.
They emphasize, however, that they will provide extensive support to the laid-off developers. Those who are let go will receive severance packages equivalent to “at least 6 months’ salary,” in addition to annual bonuses or assistance in finding a new job.
This does not represent a general shrinking of the team, as Merrill further explains that “the League team will ultimately be larger than it is today while we work on the next phase.”
Which specific roles are affected by the layoffs has not been elaborated on. However, we are sure to find out in the coming days when developers speak up.
What else has been said? In another post on X, Merrill stated that success does not necessarily depend on the size of the team.
Success is not about throwing more people or money at a challenge. We have seen small teams at Riot (and elsewhere) accomplish incredible things, while we have also seen large teams (both at Riot and elsewhere) miss their targets.
Ultimately, the team will be larger after these changes, but what matters more than size is having the right team, the right priorities, and a sustainable approach to deliver what players need. If we solve the wrong problems, more resources won’t fix that. It’s about being smarter and healthier, not just bigger.
This announcement marks the second wave of layoffs in less than a year, as just a few months ago, Riot laid off over 500 employees (11% of the workforce), many of whom learned through social media that their position might be cut.
Whether these layoffs are truly efforts to make the development of League of Legends more efficient or merely “corporate nonsense” to justify layoffs remains to be seen – the player community will likely judge this critically in the coming months.
Some professional players are also struggling with layoffs: 22-year-old was supposed to become the new superstar, wants to sign a contract – but his team is dissolving.
