RIOT GAMES showered the fighting game community with a huge unexpected treat. 2XKO will be released from Early Access tomorrow and guess what? The whole PC thing is free; no keys required. The announcement from the official 2XKO account accompanied the release of the Early Access roster, throwing the community into all kinds of frenzy. Players will be able to join at 8 AM, Pacific Time. Anyone keeping track of how the game has moved so far would be beyond pleased.
So what does Early Access mean beside just placing Riot in front of a full party? No more fours, no more being picketed off a list. Just download and get your hands dirty if you’re a PC person! Honestly, that was pretty baller on part of the devs. It tells you how much confidence they have in the build and really want the least number of folks possible who ever missed an opportunity to get their hands on it. The roster reveal itself set off an uproar of debate, such as the introduction of Warwick, which had a fair share of reaction from the community.
Community reaction was instantaneous and chaotic, and we like it so. One user named Yarelis cried out, “Woot! Looking forward to more characters added eventually! So far enjoying the game a lot!” That seems to be the general vibe-excited but wondering who else might join the fight later on. Probably not everything was pure hype; however, some big dilemmas began rising. One instance was Stiles Clover asking about controller support: “was any changes done in the last weeks for controllers? Because I tried the game out with mine and it felt horrible especially for blocking and jumping…. I‘m always jumping if I just move to left or right.” Oof, that sounds frustrating. Hopefully, the devs have been tweaking that.
Now, for the Warwick stuff. That character’s addition garnered some very… interesting reactions. “Who the fuck is Warwick XD,” deadjoy2 simply asked. Fair question if you’re not in deep League lore. Meanwhile, another player, TropicalEdge, tagged a user in mockery of how they’d respond. The meme read: “how @pixilated_max gonna be acting when warwick finally comes out.” The wolf man is going to be hyped by some and have strangers by others.
But wait, what was I saying? Oh right, the roster. Time for the who hasn’t, as well as who has. Players already beg for their favorites. Wolfie pleaded with “Im happy with this a lot, but what about Rengar? 😭🥺” Then PurpleGhost went a little bit more direct, putting up a picture of Elise, with a command: “Elise, or I don’t care!” Clearly, some people have one champion they want so badly to make the cut for that they’re willing to fight for it. The speculation is running fast and free, with users such as Kay Omega and KORMA debating future additions from other Riot properties such as Arcane and the Ruined King game, implying that the potential roster might just keep getting bigger for years.
Still, some are top celebrating under some reservations. A very common question popping up in the replies was about the console release. Ernest asked bluntly, “Okay, but what about console?” Another user, CJ, said they’re disheartened. The roommates were hyped to play in a living room with some beers but can’t yet. That’s definitely a bummer for console gamers. Early access will remain a confident PC exclusive. Gives testing a pretty clear advantage, though, leaving a huge chunk of the audience waiting.
A little confusion occurs abruptly in the conversation, as MasterZero86 wonders, “So, is the game now finaly unregion locked or no? 🤨” An important question for international players who have been hit with roadblocks in the past. No way has Riot made any comments about it in their tweet, so fingers crossed this means fewer restrictions in open access.
That said, grain of salt aside and debate aside, it’s just positive from the outside. iButcherx called it “the best surprise ever,” while others simply spammed hype messages and memes. The fact that it’s free and open-this is a massive W. No barriers, no paywalls-just come and play. That’s how to build a community. It feels like Riot is honestly trying to listen too. Even with those controller complaints and console questions, they’re putting the game out there for real feedback.
What will players be expecting tomorrow? A 2v2 fighter in the League universe, with a starting roster that already makes people talk. Would it feel good on a gamepad? Will your main from League come in eventually? Who knows. But the important thing is, we all get to find out together, for free. Just head to the official channels at 8 AM PT. Just wild ride incoming, and honestly, we’re here for it. The fighting-game scene could have used something fresh for some time, and 2XKO is coming in with all fists out. See you in the arena.
