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 rumor 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 going to be playable in a global closed beta soon, with the beta also seemingly acting as a soft launch of the game into early access. Well, on PC, anyway.
From characters to beta dates, this page has everything we know about 2XKO.
Is there a release date for 2XKO?
It was revealed during Project L's name change to 2XKO that 2XKO would release sometime in 2025. This date hasn't been officially moved back, but the game's website now displays a "coming soon" message, not a "coming 2025" declaration.
And the vagueness doesn't end there, as the global closed beta for 2XKO—starting on September 9 on PC—is seemingly the soft launch of 2XKO. It was pretty much confirmed in a blog announcement for the beta, as the post states "After Closed Beta begins, our goal is to keep the game online, outside of any necessary maintenance."
Keeping the game online sure sounds like a proper release to me. However, this "early access" release is only available for PC players. 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.
When's the next beta for 2XKO?
A global closed beta for 2XKO on PC starts on Tuesday, September 9. You can sign up for a chance to play the beta at 2xko.riotgames.com/beta, but to register, you'll need a valid email and Riot Account.
It's good news if you played on PC in 2XKO's Alpha Lab 1 or 2, as you automatically have closed beta access. And if you played on console during either of their playtests, you’ll also automatically have access to the closed beta through the Riot Client on PC.
If you don't manage to get into the beta at launch, you can still snag a spot if a buddy gets in and shares their invite code with you. The beta will open up to others over time though, so even if you can't get in via an invite right now, the waiting game will reward you with 2XKO access (eventually).
Remember, 2XKO has cross-progression, so if you plan on primarily playing it on console, you can start on PC during this closed beta period and then carry over your account when 2XKO is playable on consoles.
2XKO character roster
We know of eight characters available to play during the 2XKO beta launch:
- 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.
Riot previously claimed that 2XKO will have 10 characters "at launch" so the other two should either be revealed before the global closed beta in September, or they will be added to the game over time and could mark the full release of 2XKO.
For now, we'll just have to wait and see what happens.
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. Eight or even 10 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".
But will Teemo be in 2XKO?
Never underestimate the power of the scout's code.
