2XKO is not going to last in the FGC, and it’s Riot Games’ fault

2XKO has been handled wrong from the beginning, and I think it’s fair to say it won’t be in the FGC for much longer.

It’s a bit jarring, of course. I used to write a lot of articles about how 2XKO would save fighting game esports. It was backed by Riot, which could actually put money into a massive esports structure, offering big prize pools and high-quality broadcasts. But it seems Riot is actually the reason for 2XKO’s downfall.

From the start, Riot has treated 2XKO similarly to its other games, such as League of Legends and VALORANT. It seemed to think that 2XKO would be some mainstream hit in the esports community: it hired a pretty large team and had a lot of marketing and partnerships from the start. However, there was a lot of backlash to Riot’s cringe Chipotle ads, which didn’t feel all that authentic.

And if there is one thing the FGC cares about, it’s authenticity. Raw. Passionate. For so long, the FGC has had no money to speak of. It’s been kept alive with grit. While fighting game fans wanted Riot’s support, they couldn’t help but feel a bit skeptical over the “normie” content surrounding the game.

Then, the FGC started to react with even more hostility when Riot revealed 2XKO’s skins. They were insanely pricey, which is not common in fighting games. As I said, the FGC is not flush with cash. The players care more about grinding matches and local LANs than buying expensive skins for different characters. It’s just not part of the culture.

Riot later laid off a large portion of the 2XKO developers, claiming the game didn’t reach the heights it expected upon launch. This proved that Riot expected the game to be larger than what is typical for a fighting game. I’m sorry, but whether it has LoL champions or not, it’s still a fighting game, and that’s a very niche segment of the esports industry. Most people are not playing or watching fighting games.

Riot also seemed shocked that the fighting game community doesn’t spend money. Devs appeared to bank a lot on skin purchases for revenue, similar to how they do in League of Legends. But the FGC doesn’t buy skins, especially not ones with massive price tags. This scene is not for making money, that’s for sure.

Riot does not have the passion or grit to survive in the FGC.

With most of the team laid off and no money coming in, Riot has clearly stopped giving a crap about 2XKO. The official esports scene is nowhere near what the publisher created for League of Legends and VALORANT. There is no massive seasonal circuit with international tournaments. There are just some community events.

In February, Riot wrote: “Our plans for the 2026 Competitive Series are unchanged. We remain committed to partnering with tournament organizers and local communities. Our focus will continue to be on supporting the events and organizers that already power the FGC.”

So, nothing new. They just want to piggyback off of events that already exist. I don’t fully blame them. That’s what most fighting game titles do. I just want to point out that it’s not the massive circuit we once believed would elevate the FGC beyond where it already is.

And attention is fading. Fast.

The numbers at Evo Japan showed that nobody is rushing to sign up for 2XKO even at one of the largest international events. Locals have also stopped bothering with 2XKO due to a lack of interest.

 The issue? There are some big names in the FGC that have made the switch to 2XKO, like William “Leffen” Hjelte and Dominique “SonicFox” McLean. They bring in some views and create some hype. But the scene is generally unengaging and lacking any steadily prominent players to watch. There are no rivalries and no storylines.

You won’t see many new players, which is part of the problem. The game is much more complex than other fighting games. It’s not for beginners. This makes it quite enticing for top players like SonicFox, but a bit boring to watch for casual fans. And it’s not very welcoming to hopeful players. It’s hard to build up a huge community.

I don’t think 2XKO will be a mainstay in the FGC. I think it’s going to fade away. Riot handled it wrong from the start. Instead of focusing on locals and building up a competitive community, it hoped the FGC would buy overpriced skins and watch crappy Chipotle ads. There are some FGC veterans on the 2XKO staff, so maybe they can try to turn things around. If Riot lets them.

But it’s hard to believe that Riot would throw money at a scene that won’t give them any money back. Riot doesn’t have the passion for that.