VANCOUVER, BC — Just weeks after its highly anticipated multi-platform debut, Riot Games has announced a significant downsizing of the development team behind 2XKO, the 2v2 tag-team fighting game set in the League of Legends universe.
The full release of the free-to-play title occurred on 20 January 2026, following an early access period on PC that began in late 2025. Despite a strong showing at the Frosty Faustings 2026 tournament, which saw peak viewership exceed 40,000 concurrent viewers, Riot leadership confirmed that the game’s initial momentum did not meet the internal projections required to sustain the original team size.
Post-Launch Restructuring
In an official update shared on 7 February 2026, Riot Games revealed it is reducing the 2XKO workforce by nearly half. The company stated that while they remain committed to the game’s long-term future, the project will now be managed by a “smaller, focused team” tasked with improving the core experience and maintaining the seasonal roadmap.
Industry analysts point to a “weird” release strategy—which saw a soft launch on PC months before the console debut—as a potential factor in the disappointing player retention. This staggered approach reportedly led to a skill gap that discouraged new players on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S upon the official January launch.
Season 1 and Technical Updates
Despite the internal layoffs, 2XKO Season 1 remains active. The season launched on 20 January with the addition of new champions and a Battle Pass. The current roster includes fan-favourite champions such as:
- Ahri
- Ekko
- Jinx
- Yasuo
- Braum
- Darius
- Illaoi
- Caitlyn (Launch Addition)
On 5 February 2026, Riot deployed Patch 1.1.2. While the update did not include character balance changes, it addressed several critical bugs impacting core gameplay and introduced quality-of-life improvements to the online matchmaking system. Competitive players have already begun establishing a meta, with top competitors from the Dragon Ball FighterZ scene releasing comprehensive team tier lists following the game’s first major tournament circuit.
The Road Ahead
Riot Games has assured the community that the 2XKO Competitive Series will continue as planned. However, the downsizing has raised concerns among the Fighting Game Community (FGC) regarding the frequency of future content updates and the speed of character releases. For now, the “smaller, focused team” is prioritising server stability and refining the complex 2v2 mechanics that define the title.
Players can track the latest maintenance windows and patch notes directly through the game client on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.