The Game Director of
2XKO, Shaun Rivera,
spoke on February 13, 2026 to unveil new milestones in the roadmap of Riot Games’ fighting title inspired by the
League of Legends universe. This statement comes just days after Executive Producer Tom Cannon confirmed
staff reductions within the development team. Following its global launch on PC and consoles on January 20, less than a month ago, Riot acknowledged that the game’s “overall traction” was not strong enough to sustain a team of that size, notably scaling back the annual plan from five to three seasons.
To address player concerns, Shaun Rivera confirmed the upcoming addition of two new champions, Akali and Senna. In a previous announcement released in January, Riot Games had already revealed that five champions are planned for 2026. Staying true to her assassin archetype, Akali is described as a precise and lethal fighter, while Senna will wield her relic cannon to alternate between area control and spectral assaults.
A Local Duo mode
Beyond these two new characters, the major announcement revolves around accessibility. The North American publisher is actively developing a Local Duo mode, allowing two players to team up in local co-op to face opponents online. This feature, built around the game’s tag mechanics, aims to strengthen the title’s social aspect and continue expanding its console player base. 2XKO recently ranked among the top three most downloaded games on PS+, Sony’s marketplace on PS5.
From a gameplay standpoint, Shaun Rivera sought to reassure competitive purists about the longevity of the meta, stating that “The skill ceiling of this game is high, and it will remain high,” while acknowledging that balance adjustments are already planned to better define the weaknesses of Yasuo and Ekko, who are considered too versatile at the highest level of play. He concluded with the following statement: “At a high level, we want every champion to have defined strengths and weaknesses, and right now that’s not clear enough across all of the cast.”
