Despite launching on consoles just a few weeks back on the 20th January, it sounds like 2XKO is struggling to attract enough players.
The free-to-play fighting game, which is based on the eternally popular League of Legends, enjoyed a positive reception on PC before its move to PS5 and Xbox Series.
However, a statement from the 2XKO team at Riot Games confirms that support for the title is being scaled back, and some members of said team are being let go as a result.
"After a lot of discussion and reflection, we are reducing the size of the 2XKO team," the update from producer Tom Cannon reads.
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He explains: "As we expanded from PC to console, we saw consistent trends in how players were engaging with 2XKO. The game has resonated with a passionate core audience, but overall momentum hasn’t reached the level needed to support a team of this size long term."
"With a smaller, focused team, we’re going to dig in and make key improvements to the game, including some of the things we’ve already heard you asking for. We’ll share some of our plans soon," the statement continues.
The fighting game space is notoriously difficult to enter, and it's even harder to not only maintain, but grow a sizeable audience. 2XKO may have an established brand behind it, but it clearly hasn't resonated with players in the way that Riot Games wanted it to.
Still, not all hope is lost. Cannon concludes: "This isn’t a judgment on individual Rioters or a signal that the journey is over. We’re reshaping the team to give 2XKO a more sustainable path forward."
It'll obviously be interesting to see what kind of support 2XKO receives over the coming weeks and months. By almost all accounts it's a fun, accessible tag fighter that's always had serious potential — but it arguably does little to hook more casual players thanks to its near total focus on online play.
What do you think the future holds for 2XKO? Drop that combo in the comments section below.