The long anticipated Project L has finally received its name - 2XKO. Read on to learn everything we know about Riot's upcoming fighting game.
What is 2XKO / Project L?
Project L was first teased way back in 2019 by Rioter Tom Cannon, who had joined Riot when the company acquired Radiant Entertainment. Its existence as an upcoming game, and not just a rumour, was confirmed during League of Legends' 10 year anniversary. At the time, it was simply called "Project L," and described as a fighting game set in the League of Legends universe.
To put into perspective just how old Project L is, during the same anniversary blowout, Riot announced the upcoming release of Senna, the Reedemer, who was ultimately released later that year, as well as Project A, which became Valorant, and was released in June of 2020.
We have only received crumbs about Project L up until 2023 when a demo was available at The Evolution Championship Series, an annual esports event that focuses on fighting games. However, the game still went unnamed until just a few days ago - 2XKO (two ex kay-oh).
2XKO / Project L Release Date
Though this might be
disappointing to hear considering it's been about five years since the
game was first teased, 2XKO will not be releasing this year either. On
2XKO's YouTube channel, Tom Cannon clarified that 2XKO was entering a
"new phase in development" and that while its dev team has grown
significantly, the game is far from complete. The expected release date
for 2XKO remains vague, but is confirmed to be sometime in 2025.
On
the plus side, the game will be available across different platforms
all at once. The devs are aiming to fully launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox
Series S and X, and PC all in 2025.
However, Tom Cannon was
adamant that 2024 being a big year for the game still. This year will be
about focusing on a community-first approach. They are keen on "getting
[the community] more involved" and hint at some at-home playtesting
being available this year. If you are interested in potentially
playtesting the game, head on over to 2XKO's website and sign up!
2XKO / Project L Gameplay
From what we saw at EVO 2023, 2XKO is a tag team fighting game most similar to Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. It's a 2D fighting game where players choose two champions, one of which is the "Point" and one the "Assist." The player can freely swap between Point and Assist, and one will automatically replace the other when their health is depleted.
What's unique to 2XKO/Project L is its Co-Op aspect. Teams of two players can face off together in the same match with each player piloting a single champion. You can play with your friends, as well as against them.
The confirmed roster of champions include Ahri, Ekko, Darius, Yasuo, Illaoi, and Jinx. Some screenshots and other non-official media suggest that Katarina, Garen, Lucian, and Vi will also be a part of the initial roster. Each character, much like their League of Legend counterparts, have unique passives, abilities, and combos. While they remain cohesive in theme to their League of Legends doubles, 2XKO's champions will have different abilities that better fit the gameplay style.
More to Come
The team at 2XKO has emphasized that 2024 will be a year of connecting with the community. They have hinted that more and more teasers and information will spill out over their socials and through announcements over the year.
Moreover, following the success of EVO 2023's demo, playable demos of 2XKO will be available once again "across the world," including at EVO Japan in April, just a couple months away.
