Riot will stop actively developing its tag-team fighting game 2XKO in December, less than a year after its official PC and console launch in January. The company said the game attracted substantial early interest, but not enough players continued playing to create a sustainable future.
Development will continue through the remainder of 2026 with improvements, bug fixes and additional content. Riot then plans to deliver its final bug-fix patch in December before leaving the servers online for ongoing multiplayer access. For more coverage of the wider arcade and fighting-game scene, visit the RETROCADE Arcade Blog.
2XKO’s end-of-life roadmap
Servers will remain online beyond 2026, and 2XKO will continue to be playable across all platforms. During the rest of 2026, Riot intends to release new content, feature updates and two additional champions: Lux and Samira. The final bug-fix patch is planned for December, with advance notice promised if the plan changes.
Riot will unlock every champion and bundle most cosmetic items. It will also refund money spent on 2XKO on or before 20 August. Players will keep any content they already own, while avatar and profile items will become available for Credits in patch 1.3.1, scheduled for September.
A difficult first year
2XKO had a challenging start. Problems affected its console release, and Riot laid off 80 members of the development team less than a month before launch. Despite that, the game appeared at several fighting-game tournaments and reached the main stage at EVO earlier this year.
Riot has been unusually direct about the decision. While the publisher acknowledged strong initial interest and a committed high-level competitive scene, it said player retention did not reach the minimum level needed to support the game over the long term.
The decision also cuts short Riot’s original plan to build the audience gradually: win the confidence of core fighting-game players first, then expand as more features and content arrived. That approach has instead ended with active development stopping before the game reaches its first anniversary.
For players interested in the hardware behind competitive arcade gaming, RETROCADE’s arcade machines provide a dedicated way to enjoy fighting games at home. Compact setups can also be explored through the bartop arcade range, while replacement controls and upgrade components are listed among the available arcade parts.
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