Riot have just revealed that 11% of their staff is being let go. But what does this mean for your favorite game or even one of the upcoming titles Riot has in the pipeline?
Over 500 employees were let go by Riot just a few days ago in what they claim was a "critical decision for the future of Riot". In the announcement, Riot went into detail regarding the titles they'll still closely work on, while also giving fans some bad news regarding new titles.
So, with huge layoffs, especially on the art and narrative side of things, what does it mean for future titles by Riot, and what can you expect from the main games like Valorant and League of Legends going forward?
Riot Doubling Down On Their Biggest Games
In the letter to the community, Riot did state that they are committed to their core live games. Riot also stated that the teams working on their core games are being prioritized, so that they will be able to "focus on content, features, and updates" for them.
What are these core games, though?
- League of Legends
- Valorant
- Teamfight Tactics
- Wild Rift
These are the titles that will continue to grow in this Riot Games environment. Is anyone even surprised that these titles will continue to receive major attention from Riot? Just think of the amount of money people spend on cosmetics...
Projects Riot Confirmed To Be Working On
Since the first list was pretty self-explanatory, it's time to check out which titles Riot is currently working on that haven't brought in the big bucks yet. Unfortunately, Riot Forge will be closing its doors – RIP my dream of a LoL dating sim – and Legends of Runeterra is seeing a huge downscale. But there are other projects that the company is currently working on.
Upcoming Game Titles
Riot has been working on multiple new games and these layoffs shouldn't influence the development of these brand-new titles. Project L is still in the works as the first Riot Games fighting game. There are also unnamed Research & Development projects that were mentioned.
- Project L
- Runeterra MMORPG
- League of Legends ARPG (Project F)
Riot has also previously invested in Hypixel, a studio creating a Sandbox and Role playing game, Hytale.
Other Projects Riot Is Still Working On
Along with the games mentioned above, the layoff announcement mentioned multiple other projects Riot is going to keep working on. Of course, there is more music in the works, even hinting at a new K/DA track that could be released eventually.
Along with music, Riot is going to be working on more television shows after Arcane Season 2 and their dedication to esports continues to grow as well.
- Riot Music
- Arcane Season 2
- More Runeterra Shows
- Esports
This all sounds great, but it's still sad to see that so many people had to be let go. Fans of League of Legends lore are especially worried for the future. Legends of Runeterra has been a key part of establishing the world, and Riot Forge managed to tell stories that were impossible to tell through League of Legends itself. So it'll be interesting to see where the lore of Runeterra goes from here.