Over the past few weeks, news of layoff announcements in the tech industry have become commonplace. While the industry as a whole has taken a severe hit, major game developers had not joined the list of companies relieving their employees. However, that seems to be changing now as per investigative reporter Jacob Wolf.
In a recent tweet, Wolf had previously mentioned that Riot Games – the studio behind popular esports game Valorant – have started laying off employees. According to Wolf, Riot Games has never previously undergone ‘many reductions’ in its past — marking this incident as a significant point in time.

The layoffs affected non-developer roles, here’s why
In his blog ‘The Jacob Wolf Report,’ the reporter has confirmed the exact number of job cuts to be 46. As per the source, the publishing, esports, human resources, and talent acquisition departments have been mainly affected by the layoffs. Additionally, a few support roles have also got the axe.
Apparently, the job cuts took place as the firm’s priorities changed. In an interview, a Riot Games corporate affairs executive said, “Riot Games implemented strategic shifts within a few teams to sharpen our focus in a number of areas.”

Riot Games layoff was ‘normal course of business’
The executive clarified that it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, calling it “part of our normal course of our business.” He continued, “We periodically make changes to our structure and our teams based on what we believe will allow us to deliver the best content and experiences for players.
Furthermore, he emphasised the move wasn’t a knee-jerk decision. He highlighted, “We never make these decisions lightly and will always start from a place of wanting to retain Rioters and have them focus on our highest priorities. While that’s not always possible, it’s our primary goal.”
Statistically, this layoff accounted for less than 1% of Riot Games’ workforce, which stands at 4,500 employees.
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