Riot Games has announced the closure of Riot Forge alongside layoffs of nearly 530 employees within the company internationally. This stems from a reevaluation from Riot regarding the primary focus on its live service titles and esports scenes, as well as additional projects like Project L and Arcane<\/em>.<\/p>
Riot Forge acted as an endeavor from Riot Games that further allowed players to explore the lore of League of Legends<\/em> in single-player experiences<\/a>, providing more insight into champion backstories, flushing out important journeys and adventures, and simply learning more about Runeterra in an interactive format. As a publisher, Riot Forge worked with multiple independent studios, each sporting unique styles and approaches to gameplay, ultimately resulting in six titles expanding on the ever-evolving lore of League<\/em>. That initiative is now ending, alongside more than 500 jobs included in the layoffs.<\/a><\/p>
\u201cIt\u2019s been inspiring to see what these devs created in partnership with the Forge team,\u201d wrote Dylan Jadeja and Marc Merrill, CEO and CPO of Riot Games, in the announcement<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019re proud of what we\u2019ve done together to bring these stories to life, but it\u2019s time to refocus our efforts on the ambitious projects underway internally at Riot.\u201d<\/p>
The final Riot Forge title, Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story<\/em>, will be released on Feb. 21 for PC and Nintendo Switch. This game explores the intricacies surrounding Bandle City, home of the Yordles, and the magic that lives among its small furry residents. Compared to previous Riot Forge games<\/a>, Bandle Tale<\/em> is a more slice-of-life, cozy game<\/a> that encourages creativity from players while also providing them with tidbits of lore regarding some of Runeterra\u2019s most mysterious creatures.<\/p>
