It’s been a between the likes of Mortal Kombat 1, Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8 all popping up. There’s another would-be major player sitting in the wings though, as Riot is preparing to enter the fray. The publisher has provided an update on Project L, the long-awaited League of Legends spin-off . The fighting game now has an official name: 2XKO.
Let’s be honest, that’s a real stinker of a name, It’s isn’t exactly going to roll off the tongue. Some of those commenting on in which Riot made the announcement suggested that “Double KO” would have been better. It’s hard to disagree.
The name stems from the format of 2XKO. It’s a 2 vs. 2 tag-based fighting game, borrowing an idea popularized by the Marvel vs. Capcom series. You can play solo or, in a nice touch, recruit a friend as your tag partner and battle another duo. Riot also says 2XKO will have streamlined controls and mechanics to help players jump in, but notes that there will be a “high level of depth and mastery.”
In the gameplay teaser, 2XKO looks pretty solid. It appears to have Riot’s trademark level of polish with smooth animations and distinct, eye-catching looks for each of the LoL characters. It’s just a pity about that name.
Riot plans to release 2XKO on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2025. As with its other tentpole titles, 2XKO will be a free-to-play game.
The publisher will set up demos at fighting game events throughout this year, starting at Evo Japan in April. Riot is also hoping to run at-home playtests and you can sign up .
