# Riot Games ends development on League of Legends fighting game 2XKO Servers will remain online but active development will cease by end of 2026. - **Source:** [The Verge](https://www.theverge.com) - **Published:** 2026-08-20 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/587f6cb9-1ff4-4f6d-9ec0-1491302d575e ## 2XKO's fate Riot Games announced it will discontinue active development of 2XKO, the League of Legends universe fighting game, by end of 2026. The game launched in PC early access beta in October 2025 and came to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in January 2026. However, Riot stated the game 'failed to attract enough player base to reach a sustainable roadmap.' Servers will remain online beyond 2026. ## Financial realities Riot revealed 2XKO's operating costs significantly exceeded its revenues. The company noted player engagement remained relatively flat despite major updates. All playable characters will be unlocked for free and players will receive refunds for in-game purchases. This decision follows Riot's staff cuts on the game team in early 2026. ## Other industry failures 2XKO isn't the only failed live service game. Sony is removing live service elements from its Horizon multiplayer title. Highguard shut down just two months after launch. Remedy announced the final major update for FBC: Firebreak. Epic Games laid off staff in March 2026 due to declining Fortnite engagement. ## Game performance analysis Riot evaluated 2XKO's performance throughout 2026. While there were bright spots like new characters and competitive events, these weren't enough for sustainability. The company stated 'even in these highlight moments, we saw no meaningful, sustained change in 2XKO's trajectory.' ## Staff reductions Riot Games cut staff from the 2XKO team in January 2026. The company said 'overall momentum hasn't reached the level needed to support a team of this size long-term.' This decision came shortly after the game's console launch. ## Live service challenges The live service model requires constant content updates and active player bases. 2XKO's failure highlights this model's risks. Even major studios like Riot can't sustain projects without sufficient player interest. Such failures are becoming increasingly common in the game industry. ## Player compensations Following the development halt decision, Riot is making gestures to players. All playable characters will be unlocked for free and in-game purchases will be refunded. Keeping servers online means current players can continue playing. ## Industry lessons 2XKO's fate shows even big-budget projects can fail in the game industry. Studios like Riot that created phenomena like League of Legends can struggle with new IPs. This may lead game companies to make more cautious investments. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.theverge.com/games/982986/riot-games-league-of-legends-fighting-game-2xko-end-development — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._