LOS ANGELES, August 20, 2026, 17:08 PDT
- Active development stops 317 days after the PC version went public.
- Riot said it will refund purchases made on or before August 20.
- Servers and offline play will keep running after 2026.
Riot Games plans to stop active work on 2XKO in December, after saying the free-to-play fighting game hasn’t kept enough players to justify more support.
The move comes 212 days after the console launch. The planned live service is now a maintained game with most content unlocked.
Riot is offering wide financial relief to players. The company will refund every 2XKO spend made through August 20. Riot hasn’t said how much this will cost.
| Player item | Before the change | New position |
|---|---|---|
| KO Points purchases | Available | Disabled August 20 |
| Past spending | Normal refund rules | All spending through August 20 refunded |
| Champions | Earned or purchased | All unlocked in patch 1.3.1 |
| Ranked play | Separate ranked pool | Removed in patch 1.3.1 |
| Online servers | Live-service operation | Stay online past 2026 |
Riot said running 2XKO is “substantially more” expensive than the game brings in. Engagement didn’t budge much even after big updates. Riot gave no figures for players, retention or revenue.
The result shows just how much scale a free-to-play fighter needs. A loyal niche crowd wasn’t enough to pay for a steady stream of new content. Quick spikes from new champions and tournaments also didn’t move the needle.
| Date | Milestone | Elapsed to August 20 decision |
|---|---|---|
| October 7, 2025 | PC version hit early access | 317 days |
| January 20, 2026 | Out on PS5 and Xbox Series | 212 days |
| February 9, 2026 | Team size was cut | 192 days |
| August 20, 2026 | Company said work on new content ended | Decision date |
Back in February, executive producer Tom Cannon said momentum wasn’t enough to keep the team that big. Riot pledged sharper improvements. Thursday’s move signals those steps didn’t bring retention back.
Lux drops September 8, with Samira set for October. October’s patch is planned as the last big content update.
| Timing | Patch or event | Verified change |
|---|---|---|
| August 20 | Commerce change | KO Points buying shut down, refunds start |
| September 8 | Patch 1.3.1 | Lux added, all champs unlocked, matchmaking made easier |
| October | Patch 1.3.3 | Samira arrives, last major content update |
| November | Competitive Series | Last official series tournament |
| December | Optional patch 1.3.5 | Fixes for bugs, if needed |
Patch 1.3.1 is set to remove battle passes, seasons, and events. Ranked lobbies are going away too, leaving just one matchmaking pool for each server. Private lobbies and skill-based casual matching will still be available.
| Platform | Availability | Online after 2026 | Offline play | Cross-platform progress |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC | Free to download | Expected to stay online | No changes | Works |
| PlayStation 5 | Free to download | Expected to stay online | No changes | Works |
| Xbox Series X|S | Free to download | Expected to stay online | No changes | Works |
Cross-play and shared progression went live on console in January. Both features still work in the game.
Ultimate Bundle is out in September at $39.99, £33.99 or €39.99. It has almost every cosmetic. Players keep current items even after refunds.
Risks: Riot hasn’t committed to keeping the server online forever. Dates can shift, and the December patch is optional. If ranked play ends, it might reduce competitive engagement.
Players get a quick change. Spending gets rolled back, more people can play, but new content is off the table. Publishers are looking at 2XKO as a pricey reminder on retention risks.
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