Riot Games has canceled work on a League of Legends fighting game in the style of Nintendo mega-hit Super Smash Bros, a new report reveals. The project, codenamed Pool Party, was set to bring the heroes of Riot’s word-leading MOBA to a platform fighter format, leaning into the game’s competitive esports scene, but it has now been pushed aside.
Former Washington Post correspondent Mikhail Klimentov reports that the studio made the decision to cancel work on its Smash-style prototype in late May. The project would have been the latest in a line of League of Legends spinoffs. Originally planned as a more traditional fighting game, it was reportedly shifted to introduce “party game elements and casual-friendly mechanics,” leaving some staff on the project dissatisfied.
The project was ultimately shut down in late May, Klimentov reports, sharing a statement from Riot senior comms director Joe Hixson, who says, “We always have a number of projects in various phases of R&D, and spinning projects up and down happens multiple times a year.”
The report notes that of the estimated 70 to 80 staff who were working on the project, approximately half have already received offers to be reassigned within the studio, with yet others in the process of seeking new positions through an internal job board at Riot. Ten employees “had not received an offer and were not in the process of applying internally,” suggesting they have left the company.
With the 2XKO release date set for 2025, there’s still something to look forward to if you’re a fighting game fan with a penchant for League of Legends. If you were eager for another PC rival to the likes of MultiVersus, however, it looks like you’re out of luck.
We reached out to Riot Games, which has declined to add further comment on this report. For now, you can catch up with our current LoL tier list to see what the latest state of the MOBA looks like, and check in on the latest League of Legends skin sales.
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