In a recent livestream, popular Twitch creator Zack “Asmongold” gave his opinion on the recent layoffs at Riot Games and the company’s shutdown of the Forge project. Riot Forge was a collaboration between Riot Games and other developers to create video games based on IPs such as Runeterra. The studio’s announcement of cutting 530 jobs, which accounts for 11% of its global workforce, caught the attention of the gaming community.
Asmongold expressed his views on the failure of Riot Forge, suggesting that the marketing and pricing decisions were to blame. He stated, “The marketing department at Riot? Like, those are the people that they should get rid of. The people who decided the financials for those games should not work in the company anymore. It was such a bad idea to go to market and sell a game at an omega premium, to an audience of people who are used to consuming games for free.”
Riot Games is a prominent name in the esports industry, having received accolades such as Publisher of the Year at the 2023 Esports Awards. Their popular titles, including Valorant, League of Legends, and Teamfight Tactics, follow a free-to-play model with optional in-game purchases. Asmongold highlighted that the pricing of Riot Forge games, such as Magekeeper, did not align with the expectations of the gaming community. He emphasized that the games should have been priced based on their value rather than their IP.
Asmongold’s commentary resonated with his audience, with many agreeing that the pricing of Riot Forge games was a contributing factor to their lackluster performance in the market. The streamer showcased some gameplay of Mageseeker and questioned the audience’s perception of its value, suggesting it should have been priced lower.
The recent layoffs at Riot Games, along with Twitch’s own staff reductions, have raised concerns within the content creation space. These developments have sparked discussions about the stability of the industry and the impact on employees and creators alike.
