Video Game developer Riot Games slashes 530 jobs

San Francisco, Jan 23

Video game developer Riot Games has announced to eliminate about 530 roles globally, which represents around 11 per cent of its workforce, with the biggest impact to teams outside of core development.

The Tencent-owned company said that it is refocusing on fewer, high-impact projects to move it toward a more sustainable future.

“These are not just organisational changes; they affect individuals and families, and we do our best to approach these decisions with respect and sensitivity,” said the company.

The company said that the decision is not to “appease shareholders or to hit a quarterly earnings number”.

“It’s a necessity. Over the past few years, as Riot more than doubled in headcount, we spread our efforts across more and more projects without sharp enough razors to decide what players needed most,” Riot Games said

The adjustments the company is making aim to focus it on the areas that have the “greatest impact on your experience while reducing investment on things that don’t”.

The company will now focus on core live games -- League of Legends, VALORANT, Teamfight Tactics, and Wild Rift.

“We're prioritising these teams so they can focus on the content, features, and updates that directly respond to what you’ve been asking for,” the company noted.

It admitted that as it grew, some of its efforts became more isolated.

“Beyond live titles, we have projects in the pipeline that we can’t wait to get to you when they’re ready,” the company informed.