Riot Games Cancels Fighting Game Project

Riot Games has entered the fighting game industry after successful games such as League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics. 2XKO, which the company is currently developing and is currently in Alpha testing, was formerly known as Project L. However, Riot announced in May that it canceled another fighting game project codenamed “Pool Party”.

Riot Games Canceled Fighting Game Project

The canceled “Pool Party” project was planned to be a melee and platformer game set in the League of Legends universe, in the style of Super Smash Bros. The project had a team of 70-80 people, but Riot decided to stop the project. After the project was terminated, half of the team was redirected to other positions within the studio, but about ten people were laid off or left the company voluntarily.

“We always have a number of projects in various stages of R&D, and some changes happen throughout the year for their projects,” said Joe Hixson, Riot Games’ senior director of communications. While Riot didn’t explicitly state the reasons for canceling the project, it’s thought that the fighting game scene may have become saturated, which may have influenced their decision.

The cancellation comes at a time when Riot Games laid off more than 500 employees and made budget cuts earlier this year. The company’s other fighting game project, 2XKO, is scheduled for release in 2025, and registration for Alpha testing is currently underway.

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