Riot Games has announced that it will cease active development of the competitive fighting game " 2XKO " in December 2026.
After Lux and Samira are added as new champions in an update scheduled for 2026, updates will cease.
However, the online servers are expected to remain operational.
2XKO to End Updates in December 2026
"2XKO," a competitive fighting game developed and operated by Riot Games—known for "League of Legends" and "VALORANT"—entered Early Access for PC in October 2025 and officially launched for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC in January 2026.
It was by no means an easy journey—with the downsizing of the development team announced just three weeks after the official release—but it was certainly one of the titles that helped energize many esports tournaments, led by EVO Japan 2026 and EVO 2026.
Now, “2XKO” has announced that it will cease updates following the release of a bug-fix patch in December 2026.
The reason given was simply that “we did not see the player retention necessary to sustain the service long-term.”
Updates—including two new champions—will be released before the end of 2026, and the servers will remain operational through 2027 and beyond, meaning the game has narrowly avoided being shut down.
Upcoming Update Schedule, Including the Addition of Two Champions
First, sales of “KO Points” will be discontinued as of Friday, August 21, 2026.
Additionally, refunds will be issued for all purchases made on or before Friday, August 21, 2026.
Details regarding refunds can be found on the “2XKO” support page.
"Lux, the Light-Bringer" is scheduled to be implemented with the release of Patch 1.3.1 on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
At the same time, a set containing nearly all of the "2XKO" customization content will be available for purchase for 6,000 yen.
The deactivation of the Rank Lobby and Battle Pass has also been announced as a confirmed decision.
Additionally, Patch 1.3.3 is scheduled for release in October 2026.
"Samira, the Desert Rose" will debut as the final champion added to "2XKO."
This will be the last major update, and it appears that the bug fixes in Patch 1.3.5, scheduled for late December 2026, will truly be the final update.
The competitive scene will continue without changes until the end of 2026
The "2XKO Competitive Series," a series of Riot Games-sanctioned tournaments held throughout the year, will continue without changes until the end of 2026.
The same applies to the "2XKO Japan Series (2XJS)" held in Japan.
Riot Games: "Developing While Hoping for the Best Is Irresponsible"
Riot Games also addressed the reasoning behind this decision.
They revealed that while they were able to reach a new user base that couldn’t be reached through traditional “League of Legends” or “VALORANT,” engagement remained flat even after implementing major updates.
Please visit the official Riot Games website to read the full announcement, which candidly states, “It would be irresponsible to continue development for another year while simply hoping a solution will present itself.”