Riot Games has outlined how it chooses and develops characters for 2XKO, sharing a behind-the-scenes look at the champion design process and why those choices matter. The explanation is timely because the game remains in closed beta while the team adapts League’s large roster for tag-team fights ahead of a planned 2025 launch.
Arucelli Zhang from the concept team described the process in a post on X, saying design, narrative and art start together in a phase they call DNA. The team looks beyond simple popularity, weighing which fighting game archetypes a champion could fill and what mechanics or aesthetics are missing from the current roster. Concepts then get costumes that reflect the planned moveset and feel; a fast character might have trailing accessories when they dash, while a heavier fighter might show a strong focal point. Those concepts move on to character artists, animators, tech artists, and VFX, so the idea reads and plays clearly in the game.
a lot of teams go into deciding which champs to put in 2xko. here's lead concept @arucelli with some insight into the process pic.twitter.com/AY7gqB4ziu
— 2XKO (@Play2XKO) September 11, 2025
The title is currently testing with nine characters, Ahri, Blitzcrank, Braum, Darius, Ekko, Illaoi, Jinx, Yasuo and Vi, and Riot says the full launch will include 10 playable characters. The 2v2 format complicates selection because each champion must pair well with many possible partners, which increases the scope of balancing and design work. In a previous interview at Evo 2025, a member of Riot’s live balance team described how the project began small and expanded, leaving some characters still in development while the team holds to a high quality bar. That balancing work affects who ships at launch and who arrives later as post-launch content.
Arucelli emphasized that the concept phase is collaborative and iterative, with narrative choices guiding which parts of a champion’s identity are highlighted in a fighter’s kit. The team evaluates how to show a champion’s personality through visuals and movement while keeping gameplay readable in tag matches. Katarina appeared in early footage but will not be part of the launch roster, and Riot has not announced the tenth launch fighter. Which champion will complete the initial lineup remains a topic of discussion in the community as testing continues into 2025.
Share your thoughts in the comments about the champion choices, then follow ongoing updates on X and Bluesky.
