Riot Slashes ‘2XKO’ Team Just One Month After Launch Citing Lack Of “Overall Movement” On ‘League Of Legends’ Fighter
Pour one out for those who bought the $100 Arcane prerelease pack, as having found little crossover between League of Legends players and fighting game diehards in the short month since its release, Riot Games has announced that they’ll be severely downsizing the 2XKO team.
Starting life in 2019 under the working title Project L and defining itself with a ‘Fuse system’ that allows for each respective fighter to modify the moves and playstyle of their partners, the 2v2 fighter spent roughly six years in development before first hitting PC via early access last October and finally dropping its full PC/PS5/Xbox Series X|S release on January 20th.
Debuting with an admittedly small roster of just 10 fighters, as composed of series mainstays including Vi, Teemo, and Auhri, 2XKO promised to deliver a regular stream of DLC additions, a strategy which in theory would help extend the game’s lifespan due to the sheer size of League of Legends’ cast.
Sadly, time would prove that the franchise’s resident werewolf, Warwick, and its iconic sniper, Caitlyn, as the only ones to actually be announced before Riot Games decided to pull way, way back on their plans for the fledgling fighter.
Sharing a “difficult update” to Riot Games’ official website on Feb 9th, 2XKO executive producer Tom Cannon informed players, “After a lot of discussion and reflection, we are reducing the size of the 2XKO team.”
“I want you to know that decision wasn’t made lightly. As we expanded from PC to console, we saw consistent trends in how players were engaging with 2XKO. The game has resonated with a passionate core audience, but overall momentum hasn’t reached the level needed to support a team of this size long term. With a smaller, focused team, we’re going to dig in and make key improvements to the game, including some of the things we’ve already heard you asking for. We’ll share some of our plans soon.
“Our plans for the 2026 Competitive Series are unchanged. We remain committed to partnering with tournament organizers and local communities. Our focus will continue to be on supporting the events and organizers that already power the FGC.
“Ultimately, this decision reflects a shift in how we operate. This isn’t a judgment on individual Rioters or a signal that the journey is over. We’re reshaping the team to give 2XKO a more sustainable path forward.
Noting that the studio is committed to supporting impacted Rioters through this transition – including “helping them explore opportunities within Riot where possible, and providing a minimum of 6 months of notice pay and severance where it’s not”, Cannon ultimately affirmed, “I know this update will raise questions and concerns. That’s understandable. We’ll continue communicating about how things are progressing.”
At present, it remains unclear as to just how many total devs Riot intends to cut from the 2XKO team.
