The highly anticipated Riot fighting game 2XKO is launching with only 10 playable characters. Fans, as you'd expect, are not happy with this decision.
Via Sajam's Twitch stream, one of the developers behind 2XKO confirmed that the game will only have 10 playable fighters when it finally releases later this year. The reasoning behind that decision is to finally put the game in the hands of players rather than delaying it until they add more champions.
"I know it seems like a low number. Trust me, we heard it. But honestly, we'd rather just get the game out for y'all to play ASAP instead of keeping it in the oven until we have some number higher of champions."
So far, the champions confirmed for 2XKO are Ahri, Darius, Braum, Ekko, Yasuo, Illaoi, and Jinx. There's only three left to be revealed, and with the vast cast of characters in League of Legends, some players are bound to be disappointed if their main is left out.
click to enlargeTo put into perspective how small the roster is, Street Fighter V launched with 16 characters and was heavily criticized at the time for it. Now, comparing it directly with another tag game, Dragon Ball FighterZ shipped with 24 playable characters. Even the disastrous Marvel vs Capcom Infinite saw the light of day with 30 characters in its base roster.
You'd have to go back to the arcade days to find comparable rosters in size. The original Street Fighter 2 had eight playable characters in 1991, but that was increased to 12 with the Champion edition a year later. Also in 1991, the very first SNK fighting game had only three playable characters, with Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard, and Joe Higashi debuting in Fatal Fury: King of Fighters.
So 2XKO is not only going to ship with a small roster as it is, compared to other tag fighters, the difference is abysmal. Granted, each character is very unique, and the core system mechanics are extremely in-depth and enjoyable. But if the roadmap doesn't have a constant output of newcomers in the early months, not even the popular League of Legends IP
Beyond that, there's increasing frustration towards 2XKO. The game was originally announced all the way back in 2019. Unveiled as Project L, the original concept for the game was going to be a 1v1 fighting game with gameplay similar to the Street Fighter series.
Since then, the game has been reshaped into what is now: a hectic, team-oriented, 2v2 tag fighter that better captures the essence of the original MOBA.
Still, fighting games live and die by their content, and having a roster so small could hurt the chances 2XKO has of thriving despite the immense excitement that the idea of a brand-new one based around League of Legends characters generated when it was shown to the world for the first time.
The game itself is a joy to play. People in the United States, Canada, and Brazil will get to try it out once more when the second Alpha Lab takes place on April 18.
With a free-to-play model and the aforementioned 10 initial champions, 2XKO is set for release in 2025. Riot Games has provided no specific date or timeframe. If you're looking for 2XKO to become your first fighting, this is why I recommend you stop being afraid and jump into the genre.
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