Riot kills 2XKO development in December — the fighting game failed to make money

Riot Games has announced it will end active development of its first fighting game, 2XKO, in December 2025. The company confirmed in a blog post that while the game's servers will remain online and content updates will continue through the end of the year, the decision was driven by the fact that 2XKO's costs have "greatly outstripped" its revenue.

Starting August 20, Riot disabled the ability to purchase KO Points, the in-game currency used in 2XKO's store. The company has also begun processing refunds for all purchases made before that date. PC players should receive their refunds within two weeks, with all PC refunds ideally completed by November. For PlayStation and Xbox users, Riot says console customer support may reach out in the coming weeks to confirm payment details before refunds are distributed.

The final major content update, patch 1.3.1, is scheduled for September 8. It will introduce Lux, a mage support character from the League of Legends universe, who is a fan favorite. Alongside the patch, Riot will release the 2XKO Ultimate Bundle, a $40 package that includes nearly all of the game's cosmetic items, including those for Lux. This will be the last content patch — active development will cease entirely in December.

Riot Games, best known for League of Legends and Valorant, ventured into the fighting game genre with 2XKO, which launched in early 2025. The game received mixed reviews: critics praised its combat system but pointed to a lack of content at launch and high microtransaction costs. Despite initial promises of long-term support, 2XKO failed to attract a large enough player base to cover its development expenses.

The company did not disclose current player numbers for 2XKO but emphasized that servers will remain operational, allowing the community to continue playing existing modes. Riot also left the door open for a potential return of the project in the future, though it deemed it impractical under current conditions. The announcement marks a rare failure for Riot, which has largely succeeded with its live-service titles.