Fighting game players love two things about team games: great systems focused on synergy and large teams. Some of the sub-genre's most beloved titles, such as Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Capcom vs. SNK 2 Tekken Tag Tournament 2 each feature over 40 very unique characters to playing with.
So that Recent example the Dragon Ball FighterZ or BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle weren't warmly received initially due limited characters selection (24 or 20 is respectively). However, dozens more were added after several seasons of paid DLC, creating a healthier roster than most of their rivals.
Having a large team to experiment with and create diverse teams has always been a must, especially if the game is 3 vs. 3. So it was a surprise when Riot Games revealed that 2XKO would launch with only ten characters.
Most champions weren't invited to the party
On March 27, Riot released an hour-long video revealing the misfortunes for the roster, as well as several changes to the game's systems. Shorter combos, new fuses (a mechanic that gives you unique buffs and advantages before you start a fight), new buttons, and adjustments to how defense works were some of the changes that were announced. It felt like it was the same game I played in the alpha nine months ago.
However, during the stream, Riot also announced their intention to launch the game with a smaller roster. There weren't any specific numbers, but the reasoning was that the game was taking too long to release, and reducing the number of playable characters would help them release it sooner. Soon after, game director Shaun Rivera posted on the game's official Discord channel that they would be launching 2XKO with only ten characters.
Many players didn't take this well, and it's understandable: that number is ridiculous. It doesn't matter that there are many fuses in the game that can drastically change your play style and the way you play with your pair. The list of players is very small, and players will run out of possible combinations and ideas very quickly.
Having said that, I still think this could be the best possible scenario for 2XKO, and here's why.
2XKO Is Free-to-Play But Is That Really Enough to Succeed?
2XKO like a any Riot Live service game So that will be free to play. This is meaning the entry point will costs you Absolutely nothing and you will be able to join from day one - making it the best time to start the any fightings video game, because as the number of Gaming players grow and the gap between their experience level that will grow. Riot will use the same system as Valorant and League of Legends: you will have a few free characters to use and you'll have to spend in-game currency or real-life money to unlock the rest.
How complex a free magical method that will be and how many of the 10 characters you will be able to unlock are still mysteries. In my experience playing Valorant and League, you can unlock characters after dozens of hours of play and completing challenges or getting lucky with boxes (though I understand the latter has changed recently). I expect the same to happen with 2XKO, and I'd be surprised if it would be too difficult for people who play FG daily, but I could also be wrong.
And the Cosmetics item such as skins are a staple in League or then Riot has already shown that 2XKO will have it is a own version of the character costumes. The Summer Form shown in the stream was excellent, and at least we can expect them to maintain the excellent quality that LoL players have become accustomed to.
League of Legends has been around since 2009 or Valorant since 2020. These games still get new content on a consistent basis, and Riot would likely protect them for as long as possible. It's hard to understand why this would happen with 2XKO, while fighting games are a much more niche genre than MOBAs and first-person shooters.
It's also fair to say that many of the developers behind 2XKO are familiar with fighting games. Executive producer Tom Cannon and technical lead is the founder of EVO, the FGC's most popular event, and the developer of the rollback netcode (which has become a staple in the genre). They know the current roster leaves a lot to be desired, and they won't find any other solution than to delay the game further.
As a final note, do you remember those large rosters I mentioned earlier? Many of them are built from existing characters from older games. They definitely changed and adapted each new game's systems, but some fundamental work was already being done. 2XKO only borrowed the general look and some combat ideas from League of Champions, but that's it: the engine, the way characters move and behave, and many of the systems they've been perfecting for six years are all new.
Don't get me wrong, I still find the final numbers disappointing, and it will likely hurt 2XKO's launch, but I can understand why Riot made this decision.
We still don't know when 2XKO will release. In the meantime, you can sign up to receive an invite to Alpha Lab 2, a playtest of the game that will include all the latest changes and characters. So that It will run day April 18 to 20.
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