# Riot Will End 2XKO Development in 2026

> Active development will conclude at year-end, while refunds begin and online servers are currently planned to remain available.

_Source: Riot's Aug. 20 announcement, independently confirmed by GamesIndustry.biz and IGN, establishes the development, refund, and service-continuity plans; the financial and engagement rationale remains Riot's unaudited account. · 2026-08-21 · 7 min read · Verified against primary sources_

Canonical: https://iyu.app/e/2xko-active-development-ends

## The 60-second version

Riot will end active development of 2XKO at the close of 2026 while currently keeping online servers available.

**Key points**

- KO Point purchases are disabled, and Riot says purchases made on or before Aug. 20 will be refunded.
- Refund timing and procedures differ across PC, console, and regional payment systems.
- Two champions, remaining content, a planned September patch, and a final December bug-fix patch remain on the schedule.
- Riot says weak retention, engagement, and operating economics drove the decision, but it published no audited figures.

**Verdict.** Players can continue playing under the current service plan, but they should secure refund records and watch official notices because future server operation is not guaranteed indefinitely.

## Full explainer

Riot Games will conclude active development of the free-to-play fighting game 2XKO at the end of 2026. Purchases of KO Points have already been disabled, qualifying purchases are due to be refunded, and the company currently plans to keep online servers operating beyond the development cutoff.


### Development — What will end and what remains

- **2026** — Active development is scheduled to conclude at year-end.
- **2** — Additional champions are planned before development ends.
- **1.3.1** — The planned September patch is intended to unlock champions and bundle most cosmetics.


### Purchases — Refunds depend on platform and region

- **KO Points:** New purchases have been disabled.
- **Eligibility:** Riot says purchases made on or before Aug. 20 will be refunded.
- **Most PC refunds:** Riot is targeting completion within two weeks, with the broader process expected to finish by November.
- **Console and regional cases:** The process differs by platform and region, so players must follow the relevant notice.


### Continuity — Online play remains a plan, not a permanent promise

> **⚑ Caveat:** Riot attributes the decision to retention and engagement that did not establish a sustainable path and says 2XKO costs substantially more to operate than it earns. These are Riot's own descriptions; it released no audited figures or detailed operating metrics.

- **1.** Remaining content and two more champions are planned through the end of 2026.
- **2.** Patch 1.3.1 is planned for September to unlock champions and bundle most cosmetics, although schedules may change.
- **3.** A final bug-fix patch is planned for December.
- **4.** Online servers are planned to remain available beyond 2026, and offline play is unaffected.
- **5.** Riot says it will provide advance notice if the server plan changes.

> **→** Preserve purchase confirmations and refund correspondence, check notices for the platform and region used, and monitor Riot's updates before the September and December patches. Treat continued server access as the current plan rather than a permanent guarantee.


## Primary sources

- [Riot Games announcement](https://www.riotgames.com/en/news/2xko-active-development-ends-december-2026)
- [GamesIndustry.biz report](https://www.gamesindustry.biz/riot-games-sunsets-active-development-on-2xko-as-it-costs-substantially-more-to-operate-than-it-brings-in)
- [IGN report](https://www.ign.com/articles/riot-to-end-active-development-for-2xko-in-december-2026-online-play-to-remain-unaffected)

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