After making a splash (of sorts) on PC, Riot Games’ fighting game 2XKO is finally coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Available in January 2026, it allows League of Legends Champions to engage in straight-up brawls. What makes it worth engaging in, especially considering the sheer number of other options like Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and so on? Let’s dive into 15 things you should know about 2XKO before playing on consoles, starting with..
What the Heck is League of Legends?
In short, everyone’s favorite MOBA. The basic hook of 2XKO is seeing its iconic Champions collide in a fighting game. So if you just want to get into the action, then it’s well worth a look, especially because…
This is Free?
Say what you will about Riot Games titles. The wonky balance patches – the fact that they’re free is a huge bonus. 2XKO follows suit, and you won’t have to worry about future Champions, stages, modes and whatnot costing money.
Who Are You People?
Any fighting game is only really worth as much as its roster, and with over 170 Champions in League of Legends, you would think this is bursting at the seams with options. Unfortunately, 2XKO only has 11 – yes, 11 – fighters to choose from. On the bright side, Ahri, Jinx, Vi, Warwick, Yasuo, Ekko, and other iconic figures are here (alongside Teemo) and the first post-launch additions.
2v2 Tag Battles
But what kind of fighter is 2XKO? If the name and gameplay didn’t give it away, this is a tag fighter where teams of two square off. Due to its unique mechanics, however, you can just as easily have 1v1 battles as 2v1s. If you want to play 2v2 with each fighter controlled by a different player and get that authentic “blaming your teammate” League experience, that’s also possible.
Point and Assist
The starting fighter is known as the Point, while the second is the Assist. Anyone who’s played a tag fighter – will know the drill: Call in the Assist, and they’ll perform a specific action (or a Super move if you have the meter). A Handshake Tag allows tagging the Point out, and the Assist in, but you can also perform this during an assist action, thus keeping your opponent guessing. And for the Killer Instinct veterans, Assists can perform Breaks, interrupting an enemy’s combo if you’re in dire need.
Arcade Mode, Versus, Casual and Training
There are three core modes to leap into, starting with Arcade Mode – the industry standard, where you fight a fixed number of AI opponents. Versus Mode is about battling other players locally and is available offline, while Casual Mode allows competing online. You can also create a custom Private lobby or enter Training, which offers a variety of options for customizing AI difficulty, counter hits, ultimate meters, and even Champion-exclusive mechanics.
Ranked Mode
The sweatiest mode, available after reaching level 3 on your account, Ranked Mode requires completing five placement matches to receive a rank. It then follows the usual structure of a competitive mode – win to earn Ranked Points and ascend to the next tier, or lose and eventually face demotion. There is some protection against the latter, including forgiveness matches, where the amount of RP lost is lessened on seldom-played heroes.
Critical Strikes and Fury
As a fighting game, there are the usual mechanics from light, medium and heavy attacks to dashes, air dashes and Special attacks that vary for each character. What sets it apart are Critical Strikes, which serve as charged heavy attacks, and Fury, which grants damage reduction, increased damage dealt, faster health regen and more for a period when down to your last character (and after activating Break, which becomes Fury Break). It’s a comeback mechanic that allows for a few risks, like canceling attack recoveries to execute more combos.
Push Assists and Parries
The best offense can be a good defense at times. Push Assist, which calls in your teammate to push an opponent back while you block, is helpful in that regard, and you can also use a Retreating Guard when you need some breathing room. You can also Parry, which consumes one Ult meter bar to stun an opponent and hit back even harder. Successful parries refund the Ult meter bar, which is great for landing a world of hurt, but mess it up, and it’s gone.
Light the Fuse
Which brings us to the most unique mechanic in 2XKO – Fuses. Think of these as gameplay styles that twist the 2v2 tag fighter format in near-unpredictable ways. 2X Assist, for example, lets you use another assist action when calling in your partner. Juggernaut, on the other hand, restricts you to a single character but with more health, damage reduction past a certain HP percentage, two bars of meter, and Fury Break available at the start. As unorthodox as it all sounds, Fuses mix up each match in unique ways.
Mastery Levels
For those committed to certain heroes, there’s a Mastery system with unique objectives to complete, separated into progressively more difficult tiers. Still, the rewards can be worthwhile, from new customization items for that character to a unique Chroma, player cards, and taunts. You’ll need to purchase them with Credits once they’re unlocked, however.
Missions
2XKO, like many titles, offers a Battle Pass, and what better way to earn XP for it than through Missions? These are about what you’d expect, like using Assists and Specials in matchmade games. Daily and Weekly Missions are available and even dispense Credits for unlocking other Champions, outfits, and more. Don’t worry, though – you can also earn Credits by just playing the game, with wins bestowing more currency.
Top-Tier Rollback Netcode
It’s a good time to be alive when every major modern fighting game ships with rollback netcode, but the one utilized in 2XKO is especially great. How it will perform on consoles remains to be seen, as always, but fun fact: Executive producer Tom Cannon and tech lead Tony Cannon created GGPO rollback netcode and also founded the EVO Championship Series. Suffice it to say that their experience is paying dividends for the online experience, with very few complaints from PC players.
Cross-Play and Cross-Progression
If you’ve been playing on PC thus far and plan to make the jump to consoles, there’s good news. 2XKO will support cross-progression with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, so you can retain all those Mastery Levels and unlocks. Of course, there’s also cross-play. Even if you’re planning on staying with the PC version, the active player base should see a pretty nice bump (so be kind to the newbies).
Cosmetic-Only Microtransactions
I mean, are you surprised? It’s Riot Games, which has microtransactions in every single one of its major free-to-play titles. They’re cosmetic-only, but also not quite the most player-friendly. For example, if you like Arcane and want the skins for characters like Vi, Ekko and Jinx, there’s no option to buy them separately. No, you’ll have to pick up the Ultra Starter Edition for $100. Whether this will be available on consoles (and made cheaper) remains to be seen, but for now, it’s pretty hefty if you’re a fan of the fashion game.
