2XKO will end active development in December 2026, though Riot Games promises to keep the servers online beyond that date. Read on to learn why Riot decided to cease development of the game and what players can expect going forward.
2XKO’s Roadmap and Refund Policy
Unsustainable Future
2XKO, Riot Games’ fighting game based on their popular MOBA title League of Legends, will end its active development by the end of the year. As announced on the studio’s official website on August 20, 2026, the final patch will be delivered by December.
According to Riot Games, 2XKO’s trajectory is unsustainable due to low player retention. The developer stated that continuing active development without a path toward sustainability would be an "irresponsible choice" for both the community and the dev team.
Over the past few months, 2XKO received several major updates that improved the overall experience, including roster additions such as Teemo, Warwick, Caitlyn, Akali, Senna, and Thresh. However, retention trends remained flat, and Riot’s 2v2 tag fighter is unable to generate enough engagement to sustain active development.
The studio previously downsized the development team in February 2026 after the game’s console launch, but saw no significant overall changes. As Executive Producer Tom Cannon noted, while 2XKO captured a passionate core audience, it lacked the long-term momentum required to keep full development.
"To be super clear: we would have continued active development if we saw any viable future, but 2XKO costs us substantially more to operate than it brings in, and engagement has stayed relatively flat despite our larger updates," they stated.
Lux, Samira, and Beyond 2026
While active development for 2XKO will end later this year, Riot Games intends to keep servers online beyond 2026. They also announced that they will still release their remaining in-progress content over the coming months.
This kicks off with the arrival of Lux, the Lady of Luminosity, who joins the roster in patch 1.3.1 on September 8. In the update, Riot Games is overhauling 2XKO’s progression and online systems by making all champions free to play, removing Ranked mode, Battle Passes, seasons, KO Points, and Champion Tokens to support a long-term online experience, and consolidating player matchmaking into skill-based Casual lobbies.
Then, in October, the game will receive its last major content update with patch 1.3.3, introducing 2XKO’s final champion, Samira, the Desert Rose. Following a maintenance patch in December, 2XKO will transition out of active development while remaining fully online and downloadable for free on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Refund Requests Accepted Until December
As a show of appreciation to player support, Riot Games is issuing full cash refunds for all 2XKO KO Points and Starter Edition purchases made before August 20, 2026. Details regarding specific refund amounts will be sent directly via email, with processing methods varying by platform.
PC purchases will generally be credited back to the original payment method, console refunds will follow standard PlayStation and Xbox procedures, and alternative options are set up for regional partners or prepaid codes. Affected players will receive detailed email notifications with an estimated completion date of November 1, 2026, and all final refund requests must be submitted by December 7, 2026.
A Decade-Long Journey Ends
For nearly a decade since it was first announced, 2XKO (originally codenamed "Project L") captured the fighting game community's imagination. Led by GGPO rollback netcode and EVO creators Tom and Tony Cannon, the League of Legends tag-team fighter promised to usher in a new era for the genre.
The long and winding development journey raised several questions on the game's status, but Riot Games remained steady and eventually released 2XKO on Early Access on October 7, 2026. Unfortunately, expectations were not met despite the studio's extensive efforts in playtesting, addressing community feedback, and adding fan-favorite champions and modes. However, the developers are forward-looking, promising to take these lessons to future projects.
"Looking to the future, you can count on Riot to keep exploring new genres and ways to bring players together. For now, we’re focused on leaving 2X 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," Riot Games stated.
2XKO is available to play for free on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via the Riot Games client. To stay up to date with the latest information about the game, check out our article below!
Source:
2XKO Active Development Will End in December 2026
2XKO Evergreen Transition FAQ
An Update on 2XKO
