Fighting games have had a difficult 2026, with several promising releases struggling to build momentum. Riot has now ended active development on 2XKO, its League of Legends fighter, after roughly one year. The decision follows staff cuts made less than a month after the game reached consoles.
The announcement was disappointing rather than entirely unexpected. 2XKO had a strong foundation, but Riot did not appear to expand on it sufficiently. Its closure has also intensified concerns about whether publishers will continue backing ambitious new fighting games.
A series of troubled launches
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls remains an enjoyable fighter at its core, yet a poorly received PC port damaged its launch. Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game has appealing ideas but has faced controversy and criticism that it feels incomplete.
Invincible VS made little lasting impact, while the majority of staff at developer Quarter Up were reportedly laid off after the game failed to attract a larger audience. Together, these outcomes have created an unusually bleak run for both established and emerging teams.
As a result, fans are questioning how difficult it will be for new studios to secure funding. The concern is not necessarily that the fighting-game genre is finished, but that a small group of established names could dominate while riskier projects become harder to justify.
One discussion in the fighting-game community argued that the failures of 2XKO and Fatal Fury could discourage future AAA investment, while the limited staying power of Avatar Legends and Invincible VS may also weaken confidence in indie and AA projects. That view is pessimistic, but it reflects the pressure facing developers trying to launch a new competitive fighter.
Why Marvel Tōkon matters
Marvel Tōkon may have the clearest opportunity to develop a long-term audience. Sony and Marvel provide substantial backing, and a first year of additional fighters is already planned. That support is not an absolute guarantee: Sony has cancelled projects in the past.
The game’s recognisable characters could nevertheless help it retain players beyond launch. Early PC performance has been weak, with daily Steam players declined to four figures only a couple of weeks after release. Separate sales analysis indicates that the game has sold significantly more copies on PS5, which may reflect the negative reception surrounding the Steam version.
A broader challenge for the FGC
The wider fighting-game community is also dealing with major changes. Its biggest tournament has been acquired with Saudi financial backing, newer titles are finding it difficult to establish themselves, and the popularity of older games continues to rise and fall.
For players building a home setup, the current market is a reminder that a healthy arcade scene depends on more than one blockbuster series. A thoughtful arcade machine buying guide can help players choose hardware that suits their space, while arcade parts make it easier to maintain a cabinet for local multiplayer sessions. RETROCADE’s arcade news and gaming coverage follows how these communities and machines continue to evolve.
There is room for more than Street Fighter at the top of the genre. Marvel Tōkon has the characters, publisher support and planned content to make a sustained run possible; its next challenge is turning that potential into reliable matchmaking, a stronger PC experience and a community that keeps returning.
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