Riot has officially launched its fighting game, 2XKO. Or at least, its closed beta. If you are one of the lucky ones who have gained access to it or know someone who could have given you access, congratulations. If not, we’re sorry. Invitations will gradually circulate, making it easier to join, allowing more people to get in. Because there is a lot to unpack after the first 24 hours of 2XKO. Including what they have aimed to achieve with this new fighting game.
First of all, it is important to clarify the most important thing: 2XKO focuses on the universe of Runeterra. Unlike Valorant, where they wanted to distance themselves from the universe of League of Legends, in 2XKO they have chosen to embrace all the work already done. Here are all the characters you already know and love from their other games, or from the fabulous Netflix series, Arcane, each with their personality intact in the form of spectacular fighting moves.
Because this is a fighting game and, moreover, it is quite unique. It is a Tag Team. This means that we do not fight with a single fighter, but with several, among which we alternate following certain rules. In the case of 2XKO, as its name suggests, the teams consist of two characters that we can customize to our liking.
A fighting game that wants you to play your way
This is perhaps the most surprising aspect at first glance. The level of detail in customization. It’s not just that we can choose any character, as long as we have unlocked it, and form the team we want, but it also allows us to customize many aspects of it. The type of team attacks, the skins, and even the automation of certain movements and combos, which we can program to be executed automatically whenever a specific sequence of simple attacks is performed.
Although this may sound against the spirit of fighting games, it is a way to make it easier for new players in the genre to enter 2XKO. There is more depth in the game than it seems, with combo breaks, juggles, and various types of specials, and it can become overwhelming for many players. That’s why the option to execute certain specials at the end of specific sequences is a way to make it easier for less experienced fighting game players to enter without having to worry about all aspects of them. Especially because, at a certain point, they will discover the importance of diversifying when they launch their specials.
The concern for the novice and casual player makes the tutorial’s harshness quite strange. Long, offering us rewards for completing it and throwing endless technical terms at us in unclear ways, it is not always as explicit and straightforward as we would like. Although it is far from being the worst we have seen in the genre.
What reasons are there to play 2XKO?
On the other hand, those who are already into fighting games will have a lot to enjoy here. With a small roster, but full of personality, it’s impossible not to find two characters that fit your playstyle. The unlock system seems generous, but we’ll have to see how it evolves over time, because being a free-to-play game could become a serious problem. And while the game aims to be accessible for people who have never touched a fighting game, it has a rewarding layer of depth that will make hardcore players happy.
Is it deep enough or different enough for them to abandon their current fighting games? Honestly, it seems hard to believe. 2XKO has some interesting foundations, but it doesn’t seem to bring anything as interesting, new, or exciting to think, at first glance, that it will represent any kind of revolution in fighting games. At least not for now.
If Riot knows how to cultivate a competitive scene worth participating in, due to its prizes and community, and manages to attract a more casual audience to fighting games and get them hooked, 2XKO could be the big surprise of the decade in fighting games. And a much-needed breath of fresh air that the genre has been lacking for a long time. But achieving this will be very difficult, even for a company as influential as Riot Games. Even if they have a solid foundation, if they know how to play their cards right, they could achieve what once seemed impossible.
