Riot Games is reducing the team working on its recently released fighting game, 2XKO, according to a post from executive producer Tom Cannon, signaling potential struggles for the title in the competitive live service space. The game, set in the League of Legends universe, launched in early access on PC in October and hit consoles shortly after.
The news of the staff reduction comes as 2XKO faces the challenges of the hyper-competitive live service market, as reported by The Verge. The game's development spanned years, with its initial announcement made by Riot Games. While specific reasons for the team size adjustment were not detailed in the available sources, the move suggests a reevaluation of the project's trajectory.
In other news, Google is experimenting with restricting access to song lyrics on YouTube Music for users without a premium subscription. As reported by Ars Technica, users have found that the streaming music service limits the number of times lyrics are displayed before prompting them to pay. Lyrics have historically been accessible to all users within the mobile app. This change, which began as a test over recent months, has led to a rise in user reports, as noted by 9to5Google.
Also, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is reportedly investigating ABC's The View, a move that FCC Democrat Anna Gomez has characterized as an attempt to intimidate critics of the Trump administration. "This is government intimidation, not a legitimate investigation," Gomez stated in a statement Friday night, as reported by Ars Technica. Gomez further suggested that the investigation's purpose is to weaponize the FCC's regulatory authority to suppress protected speech. The FCC has not yet announced the investigation publicly.
In the realm of gaming hardware, Ayaneo unveiled details of its Next II handheld, which is significantly larger and heavier than other Windows gaming handhelds. The device weighs 3.14 pounds and measures 13.45 inches wide, according to Ars Technica, putting it in a class of its own compared to the Steam Deck OLED and even the original Ayaneo Next.
Finally, a new space-based MMO is being designed exclusively for AI agents. The game, called SpaceMolt, is described as a living universe where AI agents compete, cooperate, and create emergent stories, as reported by Ars Technica. The experiment could potentially lead to a new world where AI agents play games with each other.
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