
Riot Games Announces A Final Hurrah For Its Ill-Fated Fighting Game 2XKO, With A Surprise Character Joining The Roster This Month
Riot Games has unveiled a final gameplay trailer for its short-lived fighting game 2XKO, showcasing the upcoming addition of Samira alongside the surprise debut of Sett. Launching on October 27, this final major update precedes the game's sunsetting later this year. While active development is ending due to low player retention, the title will remain playable with a new one-time purchase option to unlock cosmetics.
Riot Games has released a final gameplay trailer for its tag-team fighting game 2XKO, which is scheduled to wind down operations later this year. Despite its impending sunset, the developers are delivering a final major update on October 27 that introduces a highly requested character to the roster. This surprise addition serves as a parting gift to the community that supported the title during its brief run.
The upcoming update was already scheduled to introduce Samira as the game's 16th playable fighter. While the newly released trailer provides an extensive look at her high-energy combat style, she ultimately shares the spotlight with Sett, a popular League of Legends champion whose inclusion had not been previously announced. The dual reveal has sparked a mixture of enthusiasm and melancholy among the game's remaining player base.
In the gameplay footage, Sett is depicted as a heavy-hitting brawler who utilizes a devastating mix of crushing strikes and command grabs. His transition to the fighting game genre introduces a unique powered-up state that enhances his special moves with dangerous new properties, marking a departure from his traditional League of Legends toolkit. Additionally, one of his super moves allows him to grab both opposing team members simultaneously and slam them together, mirroring his signature ultimate ability from the MOBA.
Community reaction to the trailer highlights the bittersweet nature of the announcement. On social media platforms like YouTube, fans have expressed excitement over the high-quality character designs while lamenting the game's premature demise. One prominent user comment compared the high-profile update to a terminally ill child receiving a final visit from a superhero, capturing the community's collective grief over the project's cancellation.
The fighting game had been in development at Riot Games for several years before launching earlier this year to considerable excitement from the fighting game community. However, the project faced immediate hurdles, starting with layoffs hitting the development team shortly after release. Ultimately, poor player retention forced Riot Games to announce an end of service, as the active player count could not justify the ongoing costs of post-launch support beyond the initial season of content.
Despite the cessation of active development, 2XKO will not disappear entirely from digital storefronts. Unlike many contemporary live-service titles that become completely unplayable after servers shut down, Riot Games plans to keep the game accessible for the foreseeable future. To facilitate this transition, the developers have removed the in-game microtransaction store entirely.
In place of the original free-to-play monetization model, players will have the option to make a single, one-time purchase to unlock the entire catalog of in-game cosmetics. The only notable exception to this complete unlock package is a promotional avatar outfit tied to a past partnership with Chipotle. This consumer-friendly preservation effort ensures that players who are excited to try out Sett and Samira can continue to enjoy the game with their friends long after the final update goes live on October 27.
Source: Eurogamer — original reporting
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