Riot Games will end active development of its free-to-play fighting game 2XKO in December.
Servers will remain online “beyond 2026”, and offline play will not be affected. 2XKO will stay playable and free to download on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
After reviewing 2XKO’s performance, Riot said it would have “continued active development if [it] saw any viable future,” but the game costs “substantially more to operate than it brings in, and engagement has stayed relatively flat despite larger updates.”
Although new characters, gameplay, and competitive events received positive feedback, Riot observed “no meaningful, sustained change in 2XKO’s trajectory.”
“Over time it became clear it would be impossible for us to continue actively developing the game as we are today,” the developer explained.
“When we looked at all the options available (e.g., reducing team size, adjusting our patch schedules, changing our business model), we concluded that finishing the rest of our work-in-progress content and sunsetting active development was the best route forward for players and Rioters.”
“Over time it became clear it would be impossible for us to continue actively developing the game as we are today”
Three additional patches are planned before active development concludes in December.
Changes to 2XKO began on August 20, when purchasing in-game currency KO Points was disabled. Remaining KO Points can be used in the rotating store until patch 1.3.1 releases on September 8.
Riot has also begun refunding all purchases made on or before August 20.
For PC players, all KO Points and 2XKO Starter Edition purchases will be refunded to the original payment method. Riot expects to complete most refunds within two weeks and the rest by November 2026.
Console players will receive refunds through the platform and provider used for their purchases.
As for players on Japan or Korea servers, Riot will “conduct the refund process for KO Points in compliance with local law.”
The September patch (1.3.1) will unlock most gameplay content, including all champion characters.
A bundle containing most of 2XKO’s cosmetic content will be available for $39.99/£33.99/€39.99. Riot will also make some items available for Credits and will remove Battle Passes, KO Points, Champion Tokens, seasons, and events to support the long-term online experience.
Ranked lobbies will be removed, and matchmaking in Casual lobbies will be streamlined. Private lobbies will stay unchanged and will be updated to include voice chat and a large map supporting up to 40 players.
The October 1.3.3 patch will introduce the final champion, Samira. Riot will update the 2XKO Ultimate Bundle to include all remaining skins and cosmetics. This will be the game’s final major content patch.
Patch 1.3.5, scheduled for December, will focus primarily on bug fixes and will not introduce new content.
“There’s no perfect way to handle a decision like this,” said Riot. “As 2026 continues, we’ll be figuring out what more we can do for players, tournament organisers, competitors, and creators that have consistently shown up for the fighting game community through 2XKO.”
“Ultimately, we’re proud of the game this team built. We’re grateful to everyone who made the game what it is today, and we’re looking forward to the rest of this year’s […] we may make some adjustments to dates and comms as we go.”
Riot concluded: “For now, we’re focused on leaving 2XKO in a great spot. Then, we’ll head back into the R&D lab, where we’ll take time to learn and work on how we come back stronger for the next swing at the next genre.”
Earlier this year, Riot reduced the 2XKO development team by 80 positions.
At the time, 2XKO’s executive producer Tom Cannon said the game was not reaching “the level needed to support a team of [that] size in the long term.”