Riot Kills 2XKO Development
80 staff laid off, all champions to be unlocked after low player retention forces end of active development by 2026
Story timeline2 updates
Final content patch will be released in October.
Story published. 80 staff laid off, all champions to be unlocked after low player retention forces end of active development by 2026
Riot Games will end active development on its fighting game 2XKO at the end of 2026, the company has announced. The game, which launched in January, has struggled with player retention, despite initial interest.
The decision to end active development comes after a rocky start for the game, which was plagued by issues at launch and saw 80 staff members laid off just a month after release. Despite efforts to improve the game, including the introduction of new characters and features, Riot says it has not seen enough players stick with the game to make it sustainable.
Riot will continue to work on the game until the end of 2026, with plans to introduce new content, feature improvements, and two new champions, Lux and Samira. The company will also deliver a final bug fix patch in December. After that, servers will remain online to support online play, and offline play will be unaffected.
As part of the wind-down, Riot will unlock all champions and refund all money spent in the game on or before August 20. The company will also bundle most cosmetic items and make avatar and player profile items unlockable for Credits.
## What happens next The end of active development does not mean the end of the game entirely. Servers will remain online beyond 2026, and players will still be able to play the game on all platforms. However, there will be no further updates or new content added to the game after the final patch in December.
## Why it matters The decision to end active development on 2XKO is significant, as it marks another example of a live service game failing to gain traction. The game's struggles, despite being part of the popular League of Legends franchise, highlight the challenges of sustaining a live service game and the importance of player retention.
Riot's decision to be transparent about the reasons for ending active development, including the game's high operating costs and flat engagement, is also notable. The company's willingness to refund players and unlock all champions is a gesture of goodwill, but it also underscores the challenges of maintaining a game that is not financially sustainable.
