Highlights
- Riot found that 2XKO did not attract enough sustained engagement to support its original development model.
- Lux and Samira will be the final champions, with several systems removed.
- Eligible purchases will be refunded, while servers remain online beyond 2026.
Riot Games will end active development of 2XKO at the end of 2026 after determining that the fighting game has not retained enough players to support continued development. The decision comes after the studio assessed new-player growth, engagement, the game's retention, and revenue throughout the year.
2XKO Player Retention Shapes Riot's Decision
Riot reported that 2XKO initially attracted players, including members of the fighting game community, tournament organizers, and players who brought friends into the game. However, that interest did not expand enough beyond its core audience. The studio noted it has not “seen enough players stick with the game” to establish a sustainable path.
Updates featuring Senna, Akali, Thresh, and The Climb PvE mode, along with competitive events, generated positive reactions but did not produce lasting changes in engagement. Riot also said 2XKO “costs us substantially more to operate than it brings in.”
2XKO Final Content and Refund Plans
Riot will finish its current content before moving the game into maintenance. Patch 1.3.1 arrives Sep 8 with Lux, while October's Patch 1.3.3 adds Samira as the final champion and final major content update. A December patch may provide additional bug fixes.
The September update will unlock all champions, remove battle passes, seasons, events, ranked, and champion tokens, and introduce a $39.99 USD Ultimate Bundle containing most cosmetics. Meanwhile, private lobbies will receive voice chat, a larger map, and support for up to 40 players.
Riot will refund purchases made on or before Aug 20, 2026, with PC refunds completed by November 2026.
Servers will remain online beyond 2026, while offline play remains unaffected. The final Competitive Series event is scheduled for November, with community competitions continuing afterward.
