2XKO console release date, early access info, fighter roster, and more for League of Legends’ upcoming fighting game 

The League of Legends franchise keeps expanding in strange ways, with it taking over the TV world through Arcane and breaking into the trading card game space through Riftbound. The latest jump for the franchise is 2XKO, a fighting game that lets League of Legends characters duke it out in a more direct manner. 

After an extended early access period, 2XKO is finally ready for its full release, where it will expand its reach to more platforms. League of Legends keeps hitting it out of the park with its spin-offs, but is 2XKO a step too far in the wrong direction? 

The Escapist recaps

• 2XKO is a free-to-play fighting game set in the League of Legends universe. 
• 2XKO is a 2v2 fighting game, meaning players select teams during their fights. 
• 2XKO has already been available in Early Access on PC, giving fans a chance to try out the roster. 
• 2XKO plans to add more characters post-launch. 

When could 2XKO be released?

2XKO is available in early access form on PC. The game’s full release will take place on January 26, 2026.

2XKO platforms

While 2XKO is available on PC in early access, the full release will include consoles. 2XKO is coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. 

2XKO price & pre-orders

2XKO is a free-to-play game, meaning players can just download it and get started. Surprisingly, there aren’t any special editions or pre-order bonuses available for the full version of the game. 

While there’s already 2XKO merch, the game itself is a lone digital download. 

2XKO playable character roster

2XKO has a packed roster of playable characters at launch, including some of the most popular League of Legends heroes. The characters in 2XKO and their playstyles are:

Ahri: The mystical Vastaya is a speedy character who excels when fighting in the air. Ahri has an impressive toolkit focused on speed and range, allowing her to strike and evade from any point on the battlefield. This is offset by weaker offensive and attack AoEs, especially on the ground. 

Blitzcrank: Blitzcrank is 2XKO’s main grappler. Unlike someone like Zangief in Street Fighter, Blitzcrank can use his mechanical arms to reach across the field and pull enemies towards him for punishing follow-ups. His downside is his low mobility and speed, leaving him open to enemy attacks. 

Braum: Super armor isn’t just a Super Smash Bros. mechanic, as Braum is a bruiser who can give himself temporary invincibility via his Unbreakable move, meaning he’s free from damage and stunlock for long enough to perform punishing counters. Braum’s unconventional style requires a ton of knowledge about the game, meaning he’s not an excellent choice for newbies. 

Darius: Darius is a dude with an axe who likes to hit people. He’s not flashy or unique, especially by fighting game roster standards, but his generic moveset makes him ideal for new people who want to learn the game, as his toolkit is straightforward to pick up, and he lacks the glaring weaknesses of other 2XKO Champions.

Ekko: Ekko trades speed for strength, as his lack of health and offensive potential is made up for by his ridiculous mobility and combo game, especially as his time-altering specials can affect enemy movement. Ekko definitely isn’t for new players, as he’s easily overwhelmed by my more skilled opponents, but those who master him will be able to prevent the enemy from getting a hit in. 

Illaoi: Tentacles… why did it have to be tentacles? Illaoi is a muscle-bound priestess who summons spectral tentacles to the battlefield, giving her incredible reach and multi-hit potential. It’s only her slow speed that makes her unstoppable, as the tentacle attacks require a lot of commitment, and slipping past them leaves her vulnerable.

Jinx: Of course, Jinx was going to be here, as she’s pretty much the face of League of Legends. Jinx is a tool-based ranged combatant who blasts opponents from afar, while damaging those who approach with an array of traps. Her main weakness is low health and mobility, making it dangerous for opponents to get too close.

Teemo: Every fighting game needs its annoying animal character, and for 2XKO, that role falls to Teemo. This little guy might be the strangest character in 2XKO, as they use a wide variety of strange tools with weird hitboxes, granting them badges over the course of a battle that make them stronger. Teemo is a tricky character to master, mainly due to their low health and initial offensive power, but their unconventional nature can make them difficult to counter. 

Vi: A fighting game character who punches? What madness is this? Vi is a pure pugilist who batters foes with endless barrages of punches. They are swift and powerful on the offensive, but have poor mobility and suck when forced to fight in the air. 

Warwick: Warwick the werewolf feasts upon the blood of his opponents, as reflected by his Bloodlust meter, which fills up over the course of the battle and allows him to use new specials. His raw power comes at the cost of low attack range and being a big target, making it hard for him to dodge enemy combos. 

Yasuo: A samurai with a katana is usually fighting game language for “generic guy who is easy to use.” This couldn’t be further from the truth, as Yasuo is complicated to master, thanks to his ability to cancel out of attacks using his stances, helping to chain into new combos. Mastering Yasuo is worth it, as he covers a surprising amount of distance with his attacks, making him deadly from a variety of ranges. 

2XKO gameplay analysis

As 2XKO has spent a long time in early access, fans have had plenty of hands-on time with the game and its characters throughout its development. 

2XKO is a highly technical game, one where button-bashing won’t get the player very far. Blocking and parrying attacks are vitally important, as purely going on the offensive will leave you vulnerable to smart players who bide their time and know when to attack.

As a 2v2 fighting game, 2XKO means mastering two characters. Or at least, that’s the case for most players. See, 2XKO has a system called “Fuses,” with a variety of options for the two characters. The Fuses option is selected when picking Champions, allowing for the following effects: 

2X Assist: The tag partner can perform a second assist attack during a match.

Double Down: Allows the player to cancel out of a Super and into the partner’s Super move. 

Freestyle: Allows for a second handshake tag/character switch, and the original Champion stays on the screen for longer.

Juggernaut: You sacrifice the second character for a boost for the first, making one Champion stronger, but losing all tag mechanics.

Sidekick: Sidekick is similar to Juggernaut. You only use the one character, but you can still call the other for assists. 

The Fuses system means players really need to think about their team composition ahead of time, as it can drastically change their playstyle. 

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