^{Image: Riot Games}

Riot Games has cancelled a Smash Bros-like spin-off to League of Legends.

Riot Games has reportedly cancelled development on a Super Smash Bros-like fighting game set in the League of Legends universe. According to a newsletter from journalist Mikhail Klimentov, the game, codenamed Pool Party, was being developed with the intent to build and support an esports scene.

However, the perceived commercial failure of Warner Bros. Games’ crossover fighting game MultiVersus, “spooked,” executives at Riot, leading to Pool Party’s cancellation.

Riot Games cancels Smash Bros-like League of Legends spin-off game

Klimentov’s newsletter cites current and former employees and Riot Games, who claim that roughly 70-80 employees in total were working on Pool Party before its cancellation. The prototype platform fighting game was conceived as League of Legends’ answer to Super Smash Bros. Melee, bringing together characters from the MOBA in a different gameplay format.

One similarity between League of Legends and Pool Party remained, however: Riot Games reportedly planned to, “build and support the game’s esports scene,” where Nintendo dropped the ball on supporting competitive events for Super Smash Bros. Riot tends to take this approach to all of its multiplayer titles, like League of Legends itself and Valorant, so it’s no surprise that it had competitive plans for Pool Party.

Pool Party was eventually cancelled after, “executives at Riot were spooked,” by MultiVersus’ commercial failure. The Warner Bros. platform fighter brought together characters from franchises like Game of Thrones, DC Comics and Scooby-Doo, and relaunched in May this year, but has yet to gain competitive or financial traction. MultiVersus was also planned to support an esports scene, despite criticisms levied against its hitboxes and grindy progression.

Pool Party was reportedly envisioned as a more hardcore fighting game before things shifted around, and it became more akin to a party game instead. These changes, “frustrated some staff on the project,” but it should be noted that Riot already has a ‘hardcore fighting game’ in the works: 2XKO, which is also set in the League of Legends universe.

Klimentov reports that half of Pool Party’s development team have been offered job reassignments in the company, while others look to an internal job board for work. 2XKO is still set to launch in 2025, with a playtest kicking off soon.