Riot co-founder defends 2XKO as Riot ends development and issues refunds

GG Brief Editorial Desk · AI-assisted, source attributed

Riot Games has stopped further development of the tag fighter 2XKO and refunded players for prior in‑game purchases after the project failed to gain sustainable momentum. The game underwent years of development, launched shakily, and saw layoffs roughly three weeks after release. Riot publicly acknowledged it could not make 2XKO sustainable, and co‑founder Marc Merrill defended the effort at PAX West, calling it a difficult product to sell rather than an outright mistake. The company will end development after this year and has processed refunds for purchases made up to the announced cutoff.

• What happened: Riot announced the end of future development for 2XKO after this year and issued refunds for all in‑game purchases made up to that point following a weak launch and subsequent layoffs.
• Why it matters: The decision shows Riot could not establish a sustainable player base or revenue for 2XKO despite years of investment, and senior leadership publicly framed the title as a challenging commercial proposition rather than a clear misstep.
• Context: 2XKO spent years in development, launched poorly, and experienced layoffs about three weeks after release; Riot acknowledged the project lacked the momentum needed to continue, and co‑founder Marc Merrill defended the game as hard to sell during a PAX West panel.
• What next: Riot will cease further development after this year and has processed refunds for qualifying purchases; it is not yet confirmed what will happen to live service operations, long‑term support, or any additional organizational changes.