2XKO: Champions That Should Be in Riot's Fighting Game

September 9th marked another major step in one of Riot Games' biggest projects. 2XKO, the famous "League’s fighting game", began its Closed Beta period, giving fans around the world the opportunity to test the game before its official launch.

We at UmGamer have already made the most of this period, including working on a hyperlink (Full First Impressions on 2XKO.) Today's focus is on presenting and sharing suggestions for champions that could be added to 2XKO's roster as soon as possible. Check it out!

First, it's important to mention which champions are present in the game to avoid any doubts or confusion. The 2XKO closed beta features nine different fighters: Ahri, Blitzcrank, Braum, Darius, Ekko, Illaoi, Jinx, Vi, and Yasuo.

Draven would certainly be a good fit in a 2XKO - the marksman is full of personality and loves a fight, which alone would attract a lot of attention from the community. As if that weren't enough, he's also the brother of Darius, one of the champions already in the roster - since this is a title designed for duos, we'll give space to Runeterran kinship and relationships. This could result in a character who fully embodies the game's style, as well as forming a bloodthirsty Noxian duo with his brother.

One of Draven's signature mechanics in League of Legends is spinning his axe. This way, the champion deals more damage with each attack, but to maintain the positive effect, he must always position himself to catch the axe before it hits the ground. We don't know how feasible it would be to replicate such an ability in a 2D fighting scenario, but the idea is interesting.

Akali is an extremely popular assassin ninja in League of Legends. Known for her above-average difficulty, she rewards skilled players with a kit packed with features—invisibility, multiple dashes, and mobility that makes her unpredictable in combat.

In 2XKO, Akali could fill the role of a highly technical character geared toward experienced players, requiring mastery of attack timing and precise reading of the opponent. Her fighting style would be ideal for those who like to pressure their opponent with constant movement and quick changes of pace, forcing mistakes and punishing with bursts of damage.

Yone is another character that explores the sibling relationship in this universe, as he's from the same family as Yasuo. Both are duelists in Riot's MOBA, but with different playstyles. Yone takes more risks than his brother, using his mobility to advance on enemies.

A duo formed by them wouldn’t only offer different combat styles, but could also explore more of the story through new animations and voice lines that occur during inputs or ability casts.

The mention of Sett here doesn't require much justification, even without much synergy with the game's current characters—he's made for 2XKO! League's Top Laner is literally a fighter of the Ionian pits, showering everyone with punches and genuinely wanting to challenge you!

Since this type of game focuses heavily on melee and physical attacks, Sett should be a straightforward option for beginners, with short combos and strong grabs. I'm sure Riot Games won't have to worry too much about revamping his abilities—unlike marksmen, who lose some of their range to better adapt to the 2XKO scenario.

Like the last one, Lee Sin is essentially a ready-made 2XKO champion. He's Riot Games' way of tapping into martial arts maestros, who are very flashy in this niche, while leveraging the company's own established personality—without copying fighters like Fei Long (Street Fighter) and Liu Kang (Mortal Kombat).

Until now, no other champion in the roster focuses on kicks. Lee Sin is key to bringing this uniqueness naturally, without losing the character's essence. However, as in the MOBA, he would likely be more difficult to play than Sett—requiring more agility to exploit his high movement and quick combos.

One of the lore points of League of Legends that wasn't explored in this new project is Demacia—a very popular region in the universe and, most importantly, a rival of Noxus. With Darius already present, Garen would start the war between factions in 2XKO, and the two even starred in the Battle of the God-Kings—a skin line.

Garen is known for his ease of use, being one of the first champions beginners pick, so he could very likely fulfill this same role in the fighting game. Furthermore, the Demacian's ultimate is a great way to finish off enemies in League, as it deals damage based on the opponent's missing health. This could bring a new style of battle to 2XKO, where your duo will play most of the match and call you out solely on finishing off their targets.

Kayn stands out for having two completely distinct gameplay styles as a single champion. You can play as an agile, high-damage assassin, or as Rhaast, a form focused on slower attacks that can stun enemies and restore health.

Seeing this mechanic in Riot's new project seems promising. We don't know if the company would opt for players to choose a form and use it until the end of the match—like in League—or if you could switch between them at intervals to make gameplay with this fighter even more dynamic. Regardless of how Kayn is played, I believe his popularity combined with his flexibility has attracted a large portion of the community.

There are two main reasons for Jayce's appearance on today's list. Starting with the most obvious: he's another important champion from Arcane, the series set in the League of Legends universe. The production, in partnership with Netflix, "burst the bubble" and reached an audience unfamiliar with the MOBA, or simply uninterested in that style of gameplay. 2XKO is the perfect opportunity to bring more fans of the animated series into the universe, and there's nothing better than adding another familiar face to that audience.

Another issue is that Jayce possesses a Hammer that can transform into a Cannon. In a game of this style, it's difficult to work with a fighter who exclusively focuses on ranged attacks; he would become vastly superior to the others—so much so that Jinx herself, originally a marksman, has several close-range attacks in her kit in 2XKO. Since Jayce, by nature, already quickly switches between melee and ranged attacks, Riot Games could develop a fighter who is completely faithful to his League of Legends counterpart.

I repeat what we stated in our 2XKO's First Impressions: Runeterra is a huge world waiting to be explored, and we know the potential Riot Games has to keep its new project attractive for years! I'm confident the company will make the best possible decisions.

I hope you enjoyed developing these suggestions while reading this article! I'm available if you have any questions or suggestions.