Riot Games Reportedly Canceled a Super Smash Bros. Melee Inspired Platform Fighter

According to a report from journalist Mikhail Klimentov, Riot Games has quietly canceled an unannounced platform fighter, internally referred to as Pool Party. The game, which was set in Riot’s League of Legends universe, was envisioned as a competitive-oriented take on the subgenre inspired by Super Smash Bros. Melee. Although it is over 20 years old, Melee still sports an active community due to its depth and advanced mechanics, which has allowed it to persist despite Nintendo’s frequent attempts to clamp down on the scene. Those familiar with the original pitch for Pool Party said the Smash games’ competitive popularity was cited as evidence for how their own platform fighter could establish an esports scene.

However, insiders said it was canceled after executives lost faith in the commercial viability of a Smash alternative. Specifically, the higher-ups cited perceived failures around MultiVersus as a reason to cancel development. MultiVersus, the Warner Bros-produced free-to-play fighter, released in Early Access to initial popularity but then plummeted in player count, was taken offline, came out again to relative popularity, and then saw its player count rapidly fall once more. During development, Pool Party apparently shifted from its initial competitive focus to something with more party game appeal, which frustrated many on the project.

There were roughly 70-80 employees working on Pool Party when it was shut down. According to one of Klimentov’s sources, around half of these developers have already been reassigned within the studio, while the others were either still looking for positions or had presumably left the company.