Riot is discontinuing the development of 2XKO under a year after its release.
The League of Legends fighter will continue to be available for play, but active development will conclude in December 2026.
Riot Games will stop active development on 2XKO, its ambitious fighting game based on League of Legends, by December 2026. This decision comes less than a year after the game’s full launch, with Riot stating that they have not seen enough players continue engaging with the game to ensure its sustainability. However, it’s important to note that 2XKO will not be shut down; the servers will remain operational, and the game will still be playable.
2XKO isn’t finished... just mostly mature
Riot has indicated that they have spent recent months analyzing 2XKO’s revenue, player retention, number of new players, and overall engagement. While many players tried out the game, not enough stayed for the long term. Even attempts made in the first half of 2026 did not significantly alter this trend. For a game associated with Riot and one of the largest IPs in gaming, this represents a significant reality check.
Riot Games
Moreover, 2XKO was not an insignificant endeavor. Riot invested years in developing the 2v2 tag fighter inspired by League of Legends, clearly aiming for it to become a major staple alongside League and Valorant. Yet, it seems that merely attaching the League name to a fighting game wasn't adequate to convert curious players into long-term enthusiasts.
Riot Games
To Riot’s credit, the company plans to support 2XKO until the end of 2026, with new characters Lux and Samira set to arrive in September and October, respectively, culminating in a final bug-fixing patch in December. All champions will also be accessible, most cosmetics will be bundled, and purchases made on or before August 20 will be eligible for refunds. Post this period, servers will remain online and offline play will be possible, but the growth journey of the game is essentially concluded. 2XKO isn’t being shut down; Riot is merely ceasing further development and allowing the existing players to continue enjoying the game.
A disappointing conclusion to an ambitious concept
Reactions from the fighting-game community have been understandably mixed. While many players appreciated 2XKO’s gameplay and accessibility, concerns regarding long-term player retention, a smaller character roster, the 2v2 format, and prior development cuts had already cast a shadow over the title. The frustrating aspect is that 2XKO isn’t failing due to a lack of enjoyment; rather, it simply didn’t garner a sufficient amount of players willing to stick around long enough to make the numbers work.
Fighting games are notoriously challenging to maintain as live services, and 2XKO now joins that unfortunate category. While the game will continue to exist, Riot’s aspirations of transforming it into a major fighting-game powerhouse have ended before they could truly begin.
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Riot is discontinuing the development of 2XKO under a year after its release.
Riot Games will cease active development of 2XKO in December 2026 due to challenges in maintaining a sufficient player base, though the League fighting game will still be accessible for play.