Riot Games will end active development of its free-to-play tag fighter 2XKO at the end of 2026. Riot said the game had not retained enough players to reach a sustainable path. The decision comes amidst optimistic reactions to several champions, features and competitive events throughout the year.
2XKO will not shut down immediately. Riot plans to deliver its remaining content for the year first. These include two final champions, major gameplay changes and a December bug-fix patch. Players will also be refunded for purchases made on or before August 20, 2026. Later, all the champions will become available to everyone for free.
Why is Riot Ending Active Development of 2XKO?
As per Riot, they were closely evaluating 2XKO’s performance throughout the year, looking at revenue generation, player retention, new player numbers, and interactions. While releases such as Akali, Senna, Thresh and The Climb drew positive reactions, they did not meaningfully change the game’s trajectory. The game reached only a fraction of the growth needed for long-term sustainability. Riot said engagement stayed relatively flat despite larger updates, and that the game cost substantially more to run than it earned.
The developer mentioned that a segment of the fighting game community embraced 2XKO thoroughly. High-level players prepared the game. Game organizers included it in weekly and quarterly events. Players requested for extra champions, events, and features. However, Riot said that this excitement was not evenly witnessable among the community. Riot explained that even among fighting game players, the strongest response came from dedicated tag fighter fans, while many other players grappled to find enough reasons to continue playing. This made another year of active development difficult to sustain.
With a heavy heart, the @Play2XKO team shares an update about the future.
— Riot Games (@riotgames) August 20, 2026
– Active development will end in December.
– The final content patch goes live in October.
– Servers stay online.
– In-game purchases made before August 20 will be refunded.https://t.co/3UQF7kh5S4 pic.twitter.com/FKquzTd6xc
The company looked for alternatives such as decreasing the team size, changing patch schedules, and developing the game’s business model. However, Riot concluded that completing its work-in-progress content and ending active development was the suitable option for both players and the developers.
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What Happens to 2XKO After 2026
Although active development will end, 2XKO will remain playable after 2026. Riot said servers would stay online with the game available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Offline play will also remain unaffected. The developer has multiple changes planned before the end of the year. Lux will arrive with patch 1.3.1 on September 8, while Samira will become the game’s final champion in October with patch 1.3.3. Riot will also unveil all champions for every player.
Battle Passes, KO Points, Champion Tokens, seasons, and events will be removed as part of the changes to sustain the game’s long-standing online experience. Ranked mode will also be removed. Matchmaking will be consolidated into casual lobbies, which keep skill-based matchmaking. Private lobbies will operate with Riot planning to add voice chat and a large map capable of supporting up to 40 players. Players will also get significant changes to the game’s cosmetic system.
Riot is introducing the 2XKO Ultimate Bundle for $39.99, containing most cosmetics released up to Lux. The bundle will be changed with the remaining skins and cosmetics following Samira’s release. Riot is also refunding KO Points and 2XKO Starter Edition purchases made on or before August 20, 2026. PC refunds will be sent to the original payment method, while PlayStation and Xbox refunds will be processed through their relevant platforms. The competitive series will go on through 2026, including prizes for Major and Challenger events.
As per Riot, the final competitive series will be held in November, while community tournaments will continue beyond 2026 under the game’s official community competition guidelines. The final major change will arrive with Samira in October, a final optional patch, 1.3.5, may follow in December for bug fixes. After that, Riot plans to leave 2XKO in a stable state for online play, with no further active development.
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