Riot Games has announced that its highly anticipated fighting game, 2XKO, will enter early access on October 7, 2025. This marks an important milestone for a title once known as Project L. The initial launch will be exclusive to PC gamers, with plans to release versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S at a later, unconfirmed date. This announcement gives clear direction for the tag-team brawler, which has been in development since 2019 and has generated significant excitement among the competitive gaming community and fans of the League of Legends universe.
The early access period will be called “Season 0” and will feature an initial roster of ten fighters. This roster includes familiar characters from Runeterra, with nine confirmed: Vi, Jinx, Braum, Illaoi, Darius, Ahri, Ekko, Yasuo, and Blitzcrank. The tenth character for the launch lineup remains a mystery, but Riot plans to reveal it alongside the early access release. Launching with a focused roster indicates a careful strategy to ensure balance and polish, which is crucial for a game looking to carve a space in the competitive fighting scene.
Beyond the initial lineup, Riot Games has shared its vision for the game as a live service title. The developer intends to introduce new champions with each season, a model that has worked well for its flagship MOBA, League of Legends. To enhance the early access experience, the company will also introduce features like combo trials and will support the community by sponsoring twenty-two tournaments. These efforts show a commitment to building a strong competitive environment from the start, appealing to both casual players and esports fans.
The confirmation of the early access date ends years of speculation and gives fans a clear goal to look forward to after following the game’s development through various betas and updates. While the PC-only launch might disappoint console players for now, it allows Riot to focus its efforts on one platform to gather feedback and improve the core experience. With its unique 2v2 tag-team mechanics and support from one of the industry’s leading developers, 2XKO is set to make a significant impact on the fighting game genre when it arrives this fall.
