2XKO is Riot's 2v2 League of Legends fighting game featuring LoL icons such as Jinx and Vi.
Riot revealed 2XKO during its 10th anniversary festivities in 2019, confirming the years of rumors that followed Riot's 2016 purchase of Radiant Entertainment. It was initially called Project L, and information about it was scarce for most of these past six years. But now—finally—2XKO is no longer a distant twinkle in Riot's eye, as the free-to-play fighter is finally playable in early access. Well, on PC, anyway.
From characters to gameplay, this page has everything we know about 2XKO.
Is there a release date for 2XKO?
2XKO is out now in early access. It came out of beta and released in an early access state on October 7, but only on PC. PS5 and Xbox Series X/S owners will have to wait a little longer, but at least 2XKO has cross-progression, meaning you can start on PC and pick up your save on console in the future.
2XKO character roster
There are currently 11 characters available to play in 2XKO's early access:
- Ahri: A fox-like vastaya who can manipulate her prey's emotions and consume their essence. She’s a highly mobile mage with tons of pressure tools at her disposal. Ahri's archetype is 🏃♀️➡️Rushdown.
- Braum: Roams the frostbitten wilds of the Freljord, lending his shield to those in need. He deploys defensive utility, close-range attacks, and an army of poros to protect his allies and freeze enemies in their tracks. Braum's archetype is 👊Bruiser.
- Darius: Rising from humble origins to become a bringer of true carnage, Darius cleaves through the empire’s enemies. He’s a mid-range fighter with attacks just as brutal and deadly as his axe. Darius's archetype is 🤺Striker.
- Ekko: A prodigy from the rough streets of Zaun, Ekko manipulates time to twist any situation to his advantage. Using his own invention, the Z-Drive, he thrives in pressure mixups and burst mobility. Ekko's archetype is 🤹Mixup.
- Illaoi: The Truth-Bearer of Nagakabouros, Illaoi wields a massive totem to test the will of her enemies and summon spectral tentacles to fight by her side. She's a high-damage lockdown bruiser who overwhelms enemies with pressure as immense as her faith. Illaoi's archetype is 👊Bruiser.
- Jinx: With an arsenal of custom guns, traps, and explosives, Jinx unleashes mayhem wherever she goes. She excels at zoning enemies, overwhelming them with colorful destruction from afar. Jinx's archetype is 🪤Zoner.
- Vi: Vi is an impulsive power-puncher who lives to throw hands. Armed with hextech gauntlets and slick boxing footwork, she excels at closing the distance and clobbering foes with haymakers. Vi's archetype is 🏃♀️➡️Rushdown.
- Yasuo: An Ionian of deep resolve, Yasuo is an agile swordsman who wields the air itself against his enemies. He excels at mid-range, using the power of the wind to dash through opponents and block projectiles. Yasuo's archetype is ⚖️All-Rounder.
- Blitzcrank: Though this big, metal golem was originally made for waste disposal, Blitzcrank now uses their mechanical powers to help people in other ways. Using their rocket fists to pull opponents close, Blitz follows up with potent grabs and energy bursts. Blitzcrank's archetype is 🤼Grappler.
- Teemo: A proud Bandle Scout, Teemo never misses an opportunity to earn a merit badge. Armed with his trusty scout utensils, this yordle is a deceptive ranged fighter with a knapsack full of tricks. Teemo's archetype is 🪤Trap.
- Warwick: An infamous and vicious beast from the depths of Zaun, Warwick’s howl strikes fear into the heart of his opponents. Using powerful teeth and claws, and a relentless rushdown approach, Warwick mauls opponents with varied and unpredictable angles of attack. Warwick's archetype is🏃♀️➡️Rushdown.
2XKO gameplay details
2XKO is a "duo play" tag team fighter
2XKO is an "assist fighter," with an offscreen character tagging in to assist or swapping with the primary fighter on stage. In the July 2023 dev diary, Riot revealed that—unlike other tag fighters—2XKO is built on the idea of "duo play."
Where other tag fighters have one player controlling their entire team of selected fighters, 2XKO is focused on matches between teams of two players, with each player on a team controlling a single character. "Duo Play works a bit like tag team wrestling," said Shaun Rivera, game director for 2XKO . "One player controls the champ on stage and the other waits offscreen for their teammate to find the right moment to tag them in."
As Riot tells it, duo play teamwork will involve more than just choosing when to swap in your teammate. 2XKO is being designed to encourage smart cooperative play through mechanics like Fuses.
What are Fuses?
Fuses are playstyle synergies chosen by each team before a match to influence their assist strategy, and we know of six Fuses available at beta launch for 2XKO:
- Double Down - Combine your Super Attacks with your Assist's
- Juggernaut - Fight as a single champion with enhanced powers
- Freestyle - Handshake Tag twice in one sequence
- 2xAssist - Empower your partner with multiple assist actions
- Sidekick - Assist cannot be KO'd or tagged to and has unique tools to help the point
You can play casual or ranked
Ranked, casual, and private lobbies are available for whatever you're in the mood for. Each of these lobbies are set in a virtual arcade and feature some cute chibi avatars that seem to be customisable.
More 2XKO info
- More characters will be added over time. 11 champions is a pretty slim number of characters for a fighting game, but with over 170 League of Legends characters to pull from, 2XKO's roster will eventually expand after launch.
- 2XKO is free-to-play, and as a free-to-play game with live service elements, 2XKO has a Battle Pass, champion mastery to work towards, and ways to pay for more "loot". However, Riot has been very clear that you'll never need to pay to play 2XKO, and that all champions are unlocked for free.
- 2XKO features "best-in-class" rollback netcode and anti-cheat systems, and aims to deliver "fair, lag-free gameplay every time you queue up".
