2XKO active development will end at the end of 2026, Riot Games has confirmed, bringing an end to regular development of its League of Legends fighting game after a difficult year of player retention and engagement.
Riot says 2XKO will not shut down when active development ends. The game will remain playable on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with servers staying online beyond 2026. The company is instead finishing planned content and restructuring the game around a long-term online experience.
Riot is ending active development on 2XKO
Riot said on August 20 that it had been closely tracking 2XKO throughout 2026, but the game simply wasn't retaining enough players to become sustainable.
The company said it evaluated more than revenue alone, including retention, new-player numbers and engagement. Although updates featuring Akali, Senna, Thresh and The Climb generated positive reactions, Riot said those moments did not create a meaningful or sustained improvement in the game's overall trajectory.
Riot also acknowledged that 2XKO costs substantially more to operate than it currently generates and that engagement has remained relatively flat despite larger updates. The company considered options including reducing the team, changing the patch schedule and altering the business model before deciding that finishing existing content and ending active development was the best path forward.
The announcement is the clearest indication yet of the game's commercial struggles, but it does not amount to an immediate shutdown. Riot specifically says that 2XKO will remain online after active development concludes.
The broader criticism of 2XKO’s rollout has been building for some time, with concerns around its long testing period, marketing and release strategy.
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What happens to 2XKO for the rest of 2026?
Riot plans to continue supporting 2XKO through the remainder of the year while preparing the game for its post-development phase. Two more champions are scheduled to arrive, with Lux coming in September and Samira following in October.
| Date | 2XKO update |
|---|---|
| August 20 | KO Point purchases disabled and refunds begin for qualifying purchases made before August 20 |
| September 8 | Patch 1.3.1 launches with Lux and major system changes |
| October | Patch 1.3.3 adds Samira and becomes the final major content update |
| November | The final 2XKO Competitive Series event is scheduled |
| December | Optional patch 1.3.5 may deliver the game's final bug fixes |
| Beyond 2026 | Servers remain online and 2XKO stays available to play |
The changes are designed to remove systems that Riot says are no longer necessary for the game's long-term online operation. Battle Passes, KO Points, Champion Tokens, seasons and events will be removed.
Ranked will also be removed. Instead, matchmaking will be consolidated around Casual lobbies, which will continue using skill-based matchmaking. Private lobbies will remain available, with Riot planning to add voice chat and a larger map that can support up to 40 players.
All 2XKO champions will be unlocked
One of the biggest changes for players is that all champions will become unlocked for everyone. Fuses will still be obtainable through tutorials, but players will no longer need to unlock the game's champion roster individually.
Riot is also changing how cosmetics are distributed. Patch 1.3.1 will introduce the 2XKO Ultimate Bundle for $39.99, £33.99 or €39.99. It will include skins, chromas and taunts for champions released through Lux, along with currently released finishers.
The bundle will later be expanded to include the remaining skins and cosmetics when Samira arrives. Players who already own the bundle will receive the additional items automatically.
Other items, including avatar content, selected champion chromas, stages and player profile items, will become available through Credits. Riot is also removing the previous 12,000-Credit limit.
Riot is refunding qualifying 2XKO purchases
Riot has also announced refunds for qualifying money spent in 2XKO on or before August 20. On PC, KO Points and Starter Edition purchases made before the cutoff will be refunded to the payment method originally used. Riot expects most PC refunds to be distributed within two weeks and aims to complete them by November 2026.
PlayStation and Xbox purchases will be refunded through the relevant platform and payment provider. Players in Japan and Korea will receive refunds according to local requirements, with additional details to be provided separately.
Players who already own content will keep it. Riot says the refund process does not remove content that has already been granted to an account.
2XKO will remain playable after development ends
The most important distinction in Riot's announcement is between active development and server support. The former ends in December, while the latter continues.
Riot says 2XKO will remain available to download for free on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S after the final planned updates. Offline play will also remain unaffected. The company says it will provide advance notice if that situation changes.
That means the immediate future of 2XKO is closer to a maintenance phase than a traditional shutdown. Players can continue competing and organizing events, but they should not expect the regular flow of new champions, seasonal systems and major content updates that defined the game's live-service model.
The 2XKO community is already discussing the decision
The announcement has prompted discussion across the fighting game community, particularly around what went wrong for a project that spent years in development before reaching its current form.
The reaction also comes against the backdrop of a complicated rollout. 2XKO spent a long period moving through testing and early-access phases before its full launch, while Riot continued promoting characters, cosmetics and collaborations throughout development.
Riot's own explanation now points to player retention rather than a lack of interest in the concept itself. The company says dedicated tag-fighter players embraced 2XKO, but that a broader portion of the fighting game audience struggled to find enough reasons to keep playing.
The official 2XKO account has also continued communicating with the community as the transition begins.
Why Riot says 2XKO could not continue as before
Riot's explanation is centered on sustainability. The company says 2XKO's free-to-play model required a minimum player base to support continued development, and the game did not reach that level despite strong pockets of community support.
Competitive events, high-level play and the game's duo format all produced encouraging signs. However, Riot says those successes were not large or consistent enough to change the overall direction of the game.
The announcement therefore represents a significant change in strategy. Rather than continuing to invest in a game without a clear path toward sustainability, Riot is completing its existing work, simplifying the live-service structure and keeping the servers online.
Riot's official announcement provides the full details of the transition and its remaining 2026 plans: 2XKO active development will end in December 2026.
Frequently asked questions about 2XKO
Is 2XKO shutting down?
No. Riot is ending active development at the end of 2026, but the company says 2XKO servers will remain online beyond that point.
When will 2XKO development end?
Active development is scheduled to conclude at the end of December 2026. An optional final bug-fix patch is planned for December if required.
Will 2XKO still be playable in 2027?
Yes. Riot says the servers will remain online after active development ends and the game will continue to be available on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
What champions are still coming to 2XKO?
Lux is scheduled for September, while Samira is planned for October. Samira is expected to be the game's final major content addition.
Will 2XKO ranked mode remain?
No. Riot plans to remove Ranked and consolidate matchmaking within Casual lobbies. Skill-based matchmaking will continue in those lobbies.
Will all 2XKO champions become free?
Yes. Riot plans to unlock all champions for every player in patch 1.3.1. Fuses will still be obtainable through tutorials.
What comes next for 2XKO?
2XKO still has several months of planned content ahead, but the long-term direction is now clear. Lux, Samira and the remaining major updates will arrive before Riot transitions the game into its post-development phase.
The bigger question will be whether 2XKO can sustain a dedicated community once regular development stops. Riot is keeping the servers online and removing several live-service systems to make that possible, while competitive events will continue through the end of 2026.
For ongoing coverage of 2XKO news and updates, the focus now shifts from whether Riot can grow the game into a major live service to how long its community can keep the fighting game active after development ends.
