2XKO — Riot’s League of Legends Fighting Game That’s Already a Rollercoaster
I didn’t expect 2XKO to grab me as hard as it did, but here we are. What started as Project L almost six years ago finally entered early access on October 7, 2025 and instantly ignited a mix of hype and head-scratching moments. It’s Riot Games’ free-to-play 2v2 tag-team fighter starring champions from the League of Legends universe and it feels like half the time you’re having a blast, and the other half you’re digging through forums trying to fix random quirks that make no sense for a game this polished.
On paper, 2XKO should be the perfect bridge between LoL lore and a high-octane fighting game with dynamic tag combos, strategic assists, and character synergy that actually matters. In practice, it’s very good, but it’s also flawed in ways that feel like early access, because, honestly, that’s exactly what it is.
What’s great about 2XKO
Let’s start with the good, 2XKO knows its identity. The core 2v2 combat feels fast and satisfying, especially when you and your partner land a perfect tag combo or outmanoeuvre the opposing duo. There’s real depth here, and despite being free-to-play, the game doesn’t cheat you on spectacle or variety.
Champions like Ahri, Darius, Jinx, and Yasuo all feel distinct, and every match can feel like a fresh puzzle if both teams are willing to adapt and learn. When players talk about 2XKO being a contender in the fighting game scene, I get it, in its best moments, it genuinely feels like a next-gen tag fighter with competitive teeth.
But here’s the thing about early access games with big ambitions, they aren’t always finished.
The Bugs and Frustrations In 2XKO
Audio and Performance Glitches
For me the first issue I had was with the audio, yep audio issues that degrade over time crackling, robotic distortion, or complete audio crashes after a few matches, with the only temporary fix being a PC restart. It’s such a specific bug that in the middle of a fight, the game can go from hype to unplayable because the sound dies in a way that lags the whole program.
Controller and Input Chaos
Controller support feels half-baked. Spazzing inputs, buttons not registering correctly, or the game seeing phantom presses are everywhere. I found that disconnecting other input devices or disabling Steam Input can help, but it’s a recipe of trial and error that shouldn’t be necessary at this stage.
Matchmaking and Connection Oddities
Occasional connection problems with server maintenance hiccups, lobbies with only one other player, or match queues that stall. Riot has run multiple scheduled downtimes to address these, but they still show up when the servers are under load.
Roster Size and Balance
Even beyond technical issues, I feel like the launch roster feels a bit small for a game built around team diversity.
Practical Fixes That Actually Helped Me
Between official guides and community tricks, here’s what I found makes a real difference:
Update Drivers & Perform Clean Boots – Reducing in-game stutter and input lag often started with updating GPU and peripheral drivers, and doing a clean boot to kill background apps.
Adjust Graphics Settings – Even on decent systems, dialling back shadows, bloom, or uncapping framerate helped smooth out performance spikes.
Wired Connections for Stability — For online play, switching to a wired connection reduced random disconnects and lag.
Controller Debugging – Disconnecting extra input devices, disabling overlays like Discord or MSI Afterburner, and toggling Steam Input often fixed wonky controller behaviour.
None of these are perfect fixes, but collectively they made 2XKO feel far smoother than its launch impression would suggest.
The Feeling of Strategic Adaptation
Despite the bugs, despite the quirks, 2XKO shines whenever a match flows. Getting a coordinated tag combo with a friend, watching the enemy duo scramble, and feeling that instant strategic adaptation? That’s the core magic Riot is aiming for. Some nights feel like fighting game poetry and others feel like early access groaning under its own ambition.
But the potential is here. The combat depth, champion interactions, and evolving meta genuinely have me excited for future seasons, especially once console versions arrive in January 2026 with cross-progression support.
2XKO Ranked Mode Explained
2XKO’s ranked mode is where the game’s depth really starts to show. Matches are built around 2v2 synergy, meaning rank progression depends just as much on teamwork and adaptation as individual execution. Early ranks move quickly, but climbing higher exposes how limited the roster and shifting balance can affect matchups. Many players on forums have pointed out that ranked currently feels volatile, strong character pairings can dominate until the next patch lands. It’s competitive, occasionally frustrating, and very much a work in progress, but for players willing to learn matchups and communicate, ranked play remains the most engaging way to experience 2XKO’s systems.
So, how melty is it?
Announcement & Long Wait – 9/10
Years of Project L teasers built massive expectations. Riot’s silence made the hype emotional instead of rational.
First Matches & Combat Feel – 9.5/10
Tag mechanics, assists, and movement feel incredible when things click. This is where 2XKO proves it has real competitive DNA.
Early Access Reality Check – 8/10
The cracks show quickly. Audio bugs, controller issues, and performance quirks remind you this isn’t a finished product yet.
Matchmaking & Technical Friction – 7.5/10
Inconsistent connections and odd lobby behavior break momentum, especially during longer sessions.
Roster Depth & Meta Anxiety – 7/10
The limited champion pool starts to feel restrictive faster than expected, and balance discussions dominate community spaces.
Emotional Aftermath – 8.5/10
Frustrating nights fade, but the matches where everything works stay lodged in your brain.
Total Melt Score: 8.3/10
2XKO Patch Notes – What to Know
Riot has been rolling out regular 2XKO patch notes throughout early access, focusing mostly on stability fixes, controller input issues, and balance tuning rather than major content drops. Recent updates have targeted audio bugs, matchmaking reliability, and performance spikes. While no single patch has solved everything, the steady cadence suggests Riot is actively responding to player feedback. If you’re jumping in after a break, it’s worth skimming the latest patch notes first, small tweaks can significantly change how smooth the game feels from one update to the next.
If fighting games are something you are into, check out my breakdown of Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection — Input Lag is Burning Fans.
