Riot Video games will finish energetic growth of its free-to-play preventing sport 2XKO in December.
Servers will stay on-line “past 2026”, and offline play won’t be affected. 2XKO will keep playable and free to obtain on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Collection X|S.
After reviewing 2XKO’s efficiency, Riot said it might have “continued energetic growth if [it] noticed any viable future,” however the sport prices “considerably extra to function than it brings in, and engagement has stayed comparatively flat regardless of bigger updates.”
Though new characters, gameplay, and aggressive occasions acquired optimistic suggestions, Riot noticed “no significant, sustained change in 2XKO’s trajectory.”
“Over time it turned clear it might be not possible for us to proceed actively growing the sport as we’re right now,” the developer defined.
“After we checked out all of the choices out there (e.g., lowering workforce dimension, adjusting our patch schedules, altering our enterprise mannequin), we concluded that ending the remainder of our work-in-progress content material and sunsetting energetic growth was the very best route ahead for gamers and Rioters.”
“Over time it turned clear it might be not possible for us to proceed actively growing the sport as we’re right now”
Three extra patches are deliberate earlier than energetic growth concludes in December.
Adjustments to 2XKO started on August 20, when buying in-game foreign money KO Factors was disabled. Remaining KO Factors can be utilized within the rotating retailer till patch 1.3.1 releases on September 8.
Riot has additionally begun refunding all purchases made on or earlier than August 20.
For PC gamers, all KO Factors and 2XKO Starter Version purchases might be refunded to the unique fee methodology. Riot expects to finish most refunds inside two weeks and the remainder by November 2026.
Console gamers will obtain refunds via the platform and supplier used for his or her purchases.
As for gamers on Japan or Korea servers, Riot will “conduct the refund course of for KO Factors in compliance with native regulation.”
The September patch (1.3.1) will unlock most gameplay content material, together with all champion characters.
A bundle containing most of 2XKO’s beauty content material might be out there for $39.99/£33.99/€39.99. Riot will even make some objects out there for Credit and can take away Battle Passes, KO Factors, Champion Tokens, seasons, and occasions to assist the long-term on-line expertise.
Ranked lobbies might be eliminated, and matchmaking in Informal lobbies might be streamlined. Non-public lobbies will keep unchanged and might be up to date to incorporate voice chat and a big map supporting as much as 40 gamers.
The October 1.3.3 patch will introduce the ultimate champion, Samira. Riot will replace the 2XKO Final Bundle to incorporate all remaining skins and cosmetics. This would be the sport’s last main content material patch.
Patch 1.3.5, scheduled for December, will focus totally on bug fixes and won’t introduce new content material.
“There isn’t any excellent option to deal with a choice like this,” mentioned Riot. “As 2026 continues, we’ll be determining what extra we will do for gamers, match organisers, rivals, and creators which have constantly proven up for the preventing sport group via 2XKO.”
“Finally, we’re happy with the sport this workforce constructed. We’re grateful to everybody who made the sport what it’s right now, and we’re trying ahead to the remainder of this yr’s […] we might make some changes to dates and comms as we go.”
Riot concluded: “For now, we’re targeted on leaving 2XKO in a terrific spot. Then, we’ll head again into the R&D lab, the place we’ll take time to study and work on how we come again stronger for the following swing on the subsequent style.”
Earlier this yr, Riot reduced the 2XKO development team by 80 positions.
On the time, 2XKO’s govt producer Tom Cannon mentioned the sport was not reaching “the extent wanted to assist a workforce of [that] dimension in the long run.”