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Riot Games lay off 46 staff: “This is part of our normal course of our business"Confirmation comes following earlier reports

Confirmation comes following earlier reports

An image of the Riot Games logo, showing white text which reads “Riot Games” next to a clenched white fist against a red background.

Riot Games have confirmed that they have laid off 46 staff. The news leaked out earlier today via esports report Jacob Wolf, who said that sources said cuts had been made across recruiting, human resources, support and esports teams. Riot then confirmed the cuts, saying that they had made “implemented strategic shifts within a few teams to sharpen our focus in a number of areas.”

“Riot Games implemented strategic shifts within a few teams to sharpen our focus in a number of areas. With these shifts, certain roles were eliminated, impacting a total of 46 Rioters,” said a Riot Games spokesperson in a statement. “This is part of our normal course of our business: 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.

“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.”

Riot Games is making layoffs, which started earlier today, multiple people have told me.Size and scope are unclear at the moment, so far I’ve heard of effects across recruiting & human resources, support and esports. Will do more reporting in the morning for the newsletter.— Jacob Wolf (@JacobWolf)January 19, 2023

Riot Games is making layoffs, which started earlier today, multiple people have told me.Size and scope are unclear at the moment, so far I’ve heard of effects across recruiting & human resources, support and esports. Will do more reporting in the morning for the newsletter.

The cuts come amid a spate of layoffs across tech and gaming. Microsoft announced earlier this week that they would cut 10,000 staff, withthe layoffs affecting developers at Bethesda, 343 Industries and other Microsoft-owned game studios. Ubisoft have said they’re approaching “targeted restructuring” - a euphimism for lay-offs -prompting calls for employees of Ubisoft Paris to strike.