2XKO would have needed an MAU base "in the high hundreds of thousands, if not millions" to succeed

GamesIndustry.biz says Riot Games co-founder and co-chairman Marc Merrill has framed 2XKO's sustainability problem in blunt terms: the game needed monthly active users in the high hundreds of thousands, if not millions, to support its intended live-service business. Merrill said the audience it found was real, but far short of what the model required.

That helps explain why Riot ended active development in August, citing operating costs that were substantially higher than revenue and engagement that stayed relatively flat even after larger updates. The game remains free to download and playable on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with servers planned to stay online beyond 2026.

Merrill also tied the game's struggles to timing. He said Riot had a window to make an impact on the fighting game community before Street Fighter 6 arrived, but the long development cycle meant Capcom's fighter landed after years of work on 2XKO. In his view, an earlier release could have changed the game's trajectory.

He also revisited Riot's 2016 acquisition of Radiant Entertainment and Rising Thunder, which helped shape 2XKO's design goals: simple controls, a 1v1 fighting concept, and Riot's competitive ecosystem layered on top. Merrill said leadership changes created strategic misalignment and managerial fracturing, leaving Riot with a project that had strong talent behind it but no clear internal consensus.