Riot Games’ highly anticipated 2XKO, formerly Project L, is poised to redefine the tag-team fighting game genre. Read on to learn more about the game’s tag team features and its playable demo.
2XKO Shakes Up Tag Team Dynamics
Four-Player Co-Op with Duo Play
Riot Games’ 2XKO showcased their fresh take on the classic 2v2 fighting game formula with some gameplay demonstrations during EVO 2024, from July 19 to 21.
Unlike traditional tag fighters where a single player controls both characters, the League of Legends fighting game introduces Duo Play. This allows two players to team up against opponents and control a champion each. As a result, matches can feature four players in total, divided into two teams of two. Within each team, one player takes Point while the other assumes the Assist role.
The developers even showcased that 2v1 showdowns are a possibility. Here, two players play their chosen champions, and one controls two champions.
While only one member can play as the Point, the other teammate isn’t entirely out of the action. The tag system offers three key mechanics:
⚫︎ Assist Actions - The Point calls upon the Assist to perform a special move.
⚫︎ Handshake Tag - The Point and Assist swap roles.
⚫︎ Dynamic Save - The Assist intervenes to disrupt a nasty enemy combo.
According to what was shown, matches tend to last longer than your average fighting game. In contrast to games like Tekken Tag Tournament, where a single knockout ends the match, 2XKO requires both players to be knocked out before a round concludes. Remain vigilant, however, as fallen champions can remain active as Assists to help out the Point in a pinch.
Beyond choosing your champion’s color scheme, 2XKO’s character select screen introduces "Fuses"—synergy options that allow each team to modify their playstyles. The playable demo showed five Fuses:
⚫︎ PULSE - Press attack buttons rapidly for devastating combos!
⚫︎ FURY - Below 40% health: bonus damage + special dash cancel!
⚫︎ FREESTYLE - Handshake Tag twice in one sequence!
⚫︎ DOUBLE DOWN - Combine your Ult with your partner’s!
⚫︎ 2X ASSIST - Empower your partner with multiple assist actions!
Daniel Maniago, a game designer on 2XKO, explained on Twitter(X) that the Fuse System is designed to "amplify player expression" and enable devastating combos, especially when a "duo is really in-sync."
Choose Your Champion
The playable demo only showed six characters—Braum, Ahri, Darius, Ekko, Yasuo, and Illaoi—each with their own unique set of moves reminiscent of their skills in League of Legends.
Braum’s tankiness is complemented by an ice-coated shield, while Ahri’s versatility allows her to dash in the air. Yasuo relies on his speed and Wind Wall, Darius on his brute force, Ekko on his slows and afterimages, and so on.
Fan favorites Jinx and Katarina are notably absent even though they were shown in pre-release materials. The developers noted that the two will not appear in the Alpha Lab Playtest but did confirm that they will be playable in the near future.
2XKO Alpha Lab Playtest
2XKO is the latest addition to the free-to-play fighting game scene, joining the likes of MultiVersus. Launching on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 in 2025, the game is currently accepting registrations for its Alpha Lab Playtest on August 8 to 19. Learn more about the playtest and how to register by checking the article below!
