| 2XKO | ||
|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC |
| Closed Beta Review | Early Access Review | Full Release Review |
Overview
What is 2XKO?
2XKO, formerly known as Project L, is a free-to-play tag-team fighting game by Riot Games that is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. It features iconic League of Legends champions in 2v2 combat, emphasizing accessible controls, a dynamic tag system, unique "Fuse" mechanics, and robust rollback netcode.
Developed and published by Riot Games, with fighting game veterans and EVO co-founders Tom and Tony Cannon at the helm, it aims to be both easy to learn and deep enough for competitive play. The game was in Early Access from October 2025, leading up to its full release on January 21, 2026.
2XKO features:
⚫︎ 2v2 Tag Fighter
⚫︎ Unique Tag-Team Mechanics
⚫︎ Possible to Play With 4 Players
⚫︎ Live-Service Monetization
⚫︎ 12 Playable Characters
⚫︎ Numerous Tutorials
⚫︎ Rollback Netcode and Online Lobbies
For more gameplay details, read everything we know about 2XKO’s gameplay and story.
| Digital Storefronts | ||
|---|---|---|
 Riot Client |
 Playstation |
 Xbox |
| Free-to-Play | ||
2XKO Review: It’s Riot’s Time
Bend or Break
Since the three months of 2XKO being available in Early Access, Riot Games has proven that 2XKO is here to stay. During that time, the game has already gotten a number of bug fixes, multiple balance patches, changes to its microtransactions, and other additional learning tools.
To top it all off, everyone involved in the game's development has been very vocal about feedback and their intentions regarding balance. I’m a big fan of communication and feedback, and seeing their commitment to improving the game is a very welcome sight as both a fan of the game and the genre itself.
That being said, the game is finally available on consoles! And while it was well-received when it released in Early Access, does the console version or 1.0 measure up? Well, let’s find out.
Still Looks And Plays Good
Ever since the game was released, its presentation has been on a different level, and that remains the same today.
The game’s visuals still look great overall. The cel-shaded animated style showcases each character’s unique identity, and they remain well-adapted to the source material. Even its UI is worth noting, as it’s easy to read and use. Pair those with their correct use of colors and highlights, and it’s a visual marvel that’s also easy on the eyes.
Despite the animation being great most of the time, I’m still not a fan of how they chose to animate certain Ultimates. Certain ultimates look particularly off, mainly because the scene looks like they’re hitting air up until it shows the last attack. A glaring example of this is Vi’s Ultimate, which doesn’t particularly show her pummeling the opponent up until the end of the animation.
Regardless, though, the game still looks amazing. And to reinforce this point, the game’s newest Arcade cosmetic skin line looks absolutely stunning. The best part? They have unique and exclusive animations that carry over to their attacks, supers, and everything else, making them the best-looking skin line so far. If they’re willing to go the extra mile on cosmetics, then surely they’ll make even better ones.
But what about how it plays? The game remains as satisfying as ever, especially if you’re a fan of tag fighters. While combo routes and mechanics differ from fighting game to fighting game, 2XKO has this unique characteristic of having clear limitations while having tons of interactions.
Knowing these so-called restrictions forces you to find unique combo routes for characters, and optimizing these routes is still as fun as it was the first time around. In my particular case, Darius got a couple of balance changes, which resulted in a few new combos for him. While I needed to re-learn and change a couple of things, the process of doing so was fun and satisfying, especially when it was learning a new character.
The Sheriff’s in Town
Speaking of new characters, Caitlyn, the Sheriff of Piltover, has finally arrived, and she is a beauty—both in look and in gameplay. I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t a big fan that she was going to be the newest character in the roster. I was expecting other characters outside of the franchise’s animated series, Arcane (Riot, please include Lee Sin). But seeing her in action made me rethink my stance on her inclusion, especially because of her versatility and unique mechanics.
While it does seem like she’s the typical zoner archetype that hangs back and just shoots you from across the screen, she has multiple tools at her disposal to make her a threat outside of her rifle. Her Super 2, Enforcer Hexshield, deploys a hexshield that moves forward, damaging opponents on contact while blocking projectiles.
It’s a strong super move that allows Caitlyn to give herself space to utilize her strengths of long-range special moves, while giving her the offensive option to pressure opponents when they’re knocked down from a combo. The jury’s still out on its effectiveness, but one thing’s for sure: it’s a very strong tool to have for a character that’s supposedly a zoner.
While it’s definitely not long enough to judge how she’ll fare in the competitive meta of the game, her inclusion is a welcome one. She offers a unique long-range playstyle while having tons of combo tools that make her a great partner for many of the game’s rushdown fighters. Hell, I would even expect that her best partner would be Vi, and rightfully so.
Cross-Play and Other Current Issues
Of course, we still haven’t addressed the elephants in the room: cross-play and the console performance. Let me tell you right now, it’s got some problems.
I tried cross-play by playing with a friend on PC while I was on console, and it was noticeable that something was wrong. It was baffling because we were playing the game a lot online, and we had never had this stuttering and lag issue since its Early Access release.
To add to this, the console version also has screen-tearing issues, which can be off-putting as you play the game for long periods. I’m not entirely sure whether these issues are connected, but as it stands, the game has definitely suffered noticeable performance issues since its launch.
Hopefully, Riot Games can fix these issues soon, as these can significantly affect the experience when playing the game.
Still Free-to-Play, Still Down to Grind
It’s not surprising that new characters in 2XKO are unlockable characters. After all, every fighting game’s new characters are locked as DLC that you have to purchase to access them. However, one thing that 2XKO does right over every modern fighting game is giving players access to the character in an offline capacity.
This might actually be the best thing that 2XKO has, especially since it doesn’t force the player to buy the character to be able to either try or train against that specific character. Additionally, this also alleviates the issue with most local tournaments, as they won’t need to do mental gymnastics to use one account on multiple consoles and just launch the game in offline mode.
Is 2XKO Worth It?
Absolutely Worth It.
So does the full release measure up to its Early Access? Yes, and I wasn’t even surprised one bit.
The visuals and audio design of the game remain a marvel, and the new cosmetics are a sign that things will continue to look and sound even better. The gameplay has that classic tag-fighter feel that continually prods your brain to look for unique routes and interactions to perfect that one setup or combo. And the best part? It’s completely free.
Back during the game’s Closed Beta, I was already convinced that the game was ready to release at that point, but Riot Games decided to quietly polish their game even more, resulting in an even shinier sheen. It’s a game that I’d easily recommend to everyone, especially since the game has all of the material you need to learn everything from scratch.
It’s quite literally the best fighting game that’s out right now, and it might not even be a stretch at this point. I do wish they start releasing characters that are more unique from Runeterra, though.
2XKO FAQ
How Do I Access Offline Mode in 2XKO?
For consoles, it’s as easy as opening the game through the console’s home screen while the system is disconnected. For PC, you will need to open a separate file named "OfflineLauncher.exe," which is located in "Riot Games\2XKO\Live."
How Do I Earn More Champion Tokens in 2XKO?
Outside of getting the first two tokens from the Tutorial and "First Fight," the only way to earn more champion tokens is by purchasing the different editions of the game. Please refer to the list below:
⚫︎ Standard ($29.99) - 4 Champion Tokens
⚫︎ Deluxe ($59.99) - 8 Champion Tokens + 3000 KO Points + Exclusive Player Card
⚫︎ Ultra ($99.99) - 8 Champion Tokens + 5000 KO Points + Exclusive Arcane Skins + Exclusive Player Card
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