League of Legends‘ spin-off 2XKO has been in the works for a long time. That’s why it was amazing to finally get an early access release date for the fighting game today from Riot Games.
In just two weeks, the game will have entered early access on PC. Having gone hands-on with its most recent closed beta test, I think it has the potential to be a big player in the fighting game space, even if it doesn’t reach the same heights of popularity as League of Legends itself.
When is 2XKO’s early access release date?
It’ll only be in early access on PC for now
In a new video released on 2XKO’s YouTube channel and blog post, Riot Games confirmed that the game will enter early access on October 7. As a result, the closed beta of the game, which is currently running, will end on that date. No early access release window has been given for the PS5 and Xbox Series X ports.
Executive producer Tom Cannon describes the early access release as the “first full-featured version” of 2XKO. It’ll have everything included in the closed beta, plus a couple of new features. A new fighter will come to the game on that date as well, but for now, Riot Games is simply spotlighting the new seasonal content and Combo Trials.
2XKO’s battle pass, in-game store, and ranked modes will all be working as intended throughout Season 0. The plan is for this game to get five seasons a year, each of which brings a new champion with it. Players will no longer have to worry about any forced content or progress resets, either.
Essentially, you can start playing 2XKO like your typical live service fighting game from October 7 onward. Its 2v2 matches remain the game’s core feature, but the early access release will introduce Combo Trials for each fighter.
Through this single-player content, players are going to be able to get more of an in-depth tutorial on how to use each character and their best combos. I know I’ll certainly need it, as I keep getting beaten pretty handily by many players during 2XKO’s closed beta.
Many of the developers working on 2XKO have a history with fighting games, and that really shows while playing it. 2XKO feels very intuitive to pick up and play, but its emphasis on co-op in addition to the tag mechanics is really innovative. It does take a bit of getting used to, though.
Thankfully, the game looks great, runs smoothly, and has stable servers from my own experience. While the competition from games like Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8 is quite stiff, I definitely think 2XKO has the potential to find a dedicated audience within the fighting game community.
- Released
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2025
- Developer(s)
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Riot Games
- Publisher(s)
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Riot Games
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
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Yes – all platforms
- Cross Save
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Yes
