Riot Games lays off 530 jobs, shuts down publishing arm

Riot Games, the gaming firm behind League of Legends, is preparing to let go of approximately 530 employees, equating to 11% of its overall workforce. The company made the official announcement on Monday, also revealing the dissolution of Riot Forge, their publishing group established five years ago.

• Announcements and Affected Teams: Riot Games published two posts regarding these significant changes, addressing the laid-off employees in one and their player base in another.

• Support for Affected Employees: The company detailed a comprehensive severance package which includes job placement services, counseling, visa support, and even new laptops to replace work computers for those who don’t own one.

• Riot Forge and Legends of Runeterra: The company highlighted that Riot Forge and their digital collectible card game, Legends of Runeterra, would face the "immediate impact" of these organizational shifts.

• Background: Riot Forge, launched in 2019 to collaborate with indies for League of Legends storytelling, will officially shut down after the release of its sixth game, Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story. Legends of Runeterra will continue, albeit with a reduced team, focusing on enhancing its single-player mode.

Riot Games joins the ranks of other gaming giants like Epic Games, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, and Activision Blizzard, who have also made hefty job cuts recently.