Riot is ending development on its League of Legends fighting game

Riot Games is shutting down active development on 2XKO, its free-to-play League of Legends fighting game, less than a year after the game's initial release, per The Verge. The company says work will wind down by the end of 2026.

In a post on the Riot Games website, the company cited a retention problem as the reason for the decision, saying it hasn't "seen enough players stick with the game to get to a path toward sustainability." As part of the wind-down, Riot says servers will remain online "beyond 2026," all playable characters will be unlocked for free, and players will receive refunds for money spent on the game.

2XKO launched in an early access beta on PC in October 2025 and expanded to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in January 2026, according to The Verge. The game's shelf life from console launch to announced shutdown spans roughly seven months. Shortly after the console release, Riot had already cut staff working on the title, a sign the game was struggling to find its footing.

The shutdown reflects a broader challenge facing free-to-play games that depend on sustained player engagement and in-game spending to remain viable. 2XKO entered a competitive fighting game market alongside established titles, and its failure to hold a meaningful player base made continued investment difficult to justify for Riot.

The refund commitment and decision to keep servers running past the end of active development suggest Riot is trying to limit reputational damage with its existing player base. No details were provided on what the teams previously working on 2XKO will move on to next.