Riot Games has made an exciting announcement about its eagerly-expected League of Legends-themed fighting game. Previously titled as ‘Project L’, the game has now been officially renamed as 2XKO. In its development journey, the game has hit some significant milestones.
Tom Cannon, a representative from Radiant Entertainment, first introduced Project L during EVO 2019 hinting that a possible collaboration was underway with Riot to create a fighting game. Later, at the 10th-anniversary event, Riot confirmed the collaboration and Project L was officially shown to the public, indicating Riot's foray into the fighting genre.
However, 2XKO is not the only game that Riot Games has had its hands on. The gaming giant has also invested its resources in producing Legends of Runeterra, a tycoon in the card-game genre, Valorant, a popular first-person shooter game, and an animated Netflix series titled Arcane. Even though fighting games are new territory for Riot, the game content will resonate with their existing fans.
2XKO is set to feature characters inspired by the Champion entities from League of Legends. Fan-favorite champions Yasuo, Ahri, Jinx, and Darius have already been confirmed to enter the roster of this game. As the League of Legends universe currently boasts over 100 Champions, it’s uncertain which other Champions will be included in 2XKO, but enthusiasts can now look forward to the game with an official name for it.
Since its early announcement, the fighting game, then known as Project L, gained considerable attention and popularity. In the current Golden Age of fighting games where Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 are enjoying widespread success, Riot has timed their advent into this market segment perfectly with 2XKO.
As the hype amplified over the years, the newly christened 2XKO unveiled some of its gameplay to the public. While this presented no new character revelations different from the previous trailers and gameplay demos, it certainly set the stage for the appetites of the fighting game community.
Riot broke away from the traditional with a fresh name for their game, 2XKO – pronounced exactly as it’s spelled. The introduction of the name surprised many, as did the gameplay showcased during the announcement. While the reveal brought satisfaction on the name front, it also prompted curiosity regarding other potential characters in the game.
Although Riot revealed some gameplay from 2XKO, it showcased no new characters outside of those already known from earlier trailers and gameplay demonstrations. However, this surprise title change came with an update on the release date. Riot informed consumers they can expect the game sometime in 2025, a broad estimate, but a reassurance nonetheless – assurance that it won't launch in 2024.
Albeit far from release, Riot has hinted at potential at-home playtesting in the form of an early beta as early as 2024. Such a move would provide keen players a taste of the game and Riot with valuable feedback to make final adjustments before the official launch.
In all, the formerly-named Project L is penning a new chapter in its development as 2XKO. Drawing from the rich universe of League of Legends, the introduction of a fighting game genre bears testament to Riot’s creative versatility, one that its fans are eagerly looking forward to experiencing.