Riot Games is ending active development of 2XKO at the end of 2026. Servers remain online and the game stays playable on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, with in-development content finishing through a final October patch adding Samira.
2XKO launched in January 2026 as a free-to-play 2v2 fighting game on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Riot Games scaled the team down in February, and on August 21 announced that active development would end at the end of 2026. Player retention did not reach a sustainable level, and operating costs far exceeded revenue. Engagement stayed flat even after major updates.
Support through the year added champions Senna and Thresh in June (patch 1.2.3 also brought the PvE mode The Climb on June 10), Lux and Samira in patches 1.3.1 and 1.3.3, and competitive events. At Evo 2026, player Hikari won the 2XKO tournament for a second consecutive Evo victory. Marc Merrill later said the game would have needed hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of monthly active users to keep its live service running, citing the inability to secure enough players, a team he described as too large, and high costs.
Riot considered reducing team size, decreasing update frequency, and changing the business model before deciding to complete in-development content and end active development. Systems including the battle pass, KO Points, champion tokens, seasons, events, and ranked matches will be removed, with matchmaking consolidated into casual lobbies. Refunds are planned for eligible in-game purchases made by August 20, with Japan and Korea procedures to be announced later. A December patch focuses on bug fixes.
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Marc Merrill said 2XKO would have needed hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of monthly active users to keep its live service running. He cited the inability to secure enough players, a team he described as too large, and high costs. Development ends in December 2026, after the game launched in January 2026 and the team was scaled down that February.
Riot Games announced on August 21 that active development of the free-to-play 2v2 fighting game 2XKO will end at the end of 2026. The online servers will continue to operate, and the game will remain playable on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, with offline play unaffected. The company said player retention did not reach a sustainable level, and that operating costs far exceeded revenue, with engagement remaining flat even after major updates. Throughout 2026, Riot Games introduced new champions, the PvE mode The Climb, and competitive events, but these did not change the game's trajectory. The company considered reducing team size, decreasing update frequency, and changing the business model before deciding to complete in-development content and end active development. Updates continue through the year: patch 1.3.1 on September 8 adds champion Lux and unlocks all champions for all players, while patch 1.3.3 in October adds Samira, the final new champion. A December patch focuses on bug fixes. Systems including the battle pass, KO Points, champion tokens, seasons, events, and ranked matches will be removed, with matchmaking consolidated into casual lobbies. Refunds for eligible in-game purchases made by August 20 are planned, with Japan and Korea procedures to be announced later.
Riot Games announced at Evo 2026 in Las Vegas that Lux and Samira are joining the fighting game '2XKO'. A teaser trailer showing graphics and move animations was released, with a full gameplay trailer planned for later in 2026. Player Hikari won the '2XKO' tournament at Evo 2026, their second consecutive Evo victory.
Riot Games announced that 2XKO's new PvE mode 'The Climb' arrives June 10 in patch 1.2.3. The survival-style mode supports solo and duo co-op, features roguelike progression with random augments, and ends with a boss battle. New champions Senna and Thresh also join the roster.
Riot Games announced on June 5 that Thresh, a champion from League of Legends, will join the fighting game 2XKO on June 10. A gameplay trailer released alongside the announcement shows Thresh using his signature scythe and lantern. His hook attack Death Sentence pulls him toward an opponent he hits, while an upward hook called Death Grasp is also available. Thresh can place a lantern on the field with The Lantern of Lamentation, then teleport to it using Dark Passage. His unique tag action, Lantern Tag, lets a teammate appear at the lantern's location when the player uses Quick Tag while the lantern is out, recreating the original League of Legends mechanic of pulling allies with the lantern. Senna was revealed for 2XKO on June 3, and the end of her trailer included Thresh's laughter, hinting at his inclusion. Both champions will be added to the game after maintenance on June 10. Riot also released a 60-minute endurance video of Thresh's laughter on loop.
Riot Games announced that Senna will be added to the fighting game 2XKO on June 10, 2026. A new trailer shows her character design and moves, including projectile attacks and a ghost transformation form. She will become available after maintenance ends that day.