2XKO: Which characters we expect to see

For the last few weeks, informative videos have been coming out from Riot Games, letting players and fans of the studio’s work know about what’s coming next, including both games we are already familiar with (such as League of Legends, Legends of Runeterra and Valorant) and future releases that are making ripples throughout the community.

Among these announcements, we got to know about the new name for the much expected Project L, now 2XKO - and also got confirmation of a few characters which will be playable in it, Ahri, Ekko, Darius, Illaoi, Jinx and Yasuo. These six are well-loved - or hated - by the fans, and left us wanting to know more about who else will make an appearance.

We’ll have to be brief and fast, after all there are nearly 170 champions available in League of Legends currently, on top of possible unique ones from Legends of Runeterra and even speculation about entirely new characters, created for and exclusive to the new fighting game as well. So, to make our list easier, we will go through each of the many regions in the amazing Runeterra universe and see who has a good chance of making a brand-new appearance, in a totally different style to the ones we are used to.

The land of the Yordles - the magical, short and fluffy beings who conquered hearts throughout the years - is truly a mystery. It would be very interesting to have characters who are considerably smaller than the others and unique Hitboxes that make the player work hard to understand their reach and abilities differently than the human or humanoid champions. That said, my bets for now are placed on the following:

Rumble

Exactly because of what was mentioned above, it would be easy to introduce a Yordle which would not end up having a big size difference compared to the rest of the roster, lowering the difficulty level in its learning curve - which is a well-known and great technique used by Riot themselves to be more beginner-friendly. Also, most Yordles are long-reach champions in League, which would make them harder to adapt to a melee arena. Another possibility similar to Rumble in this aspect would be Kled, who could even bring an interesting mount riding mechanic into combat.

Teemo

Despite being a long-reach scout equipped with a blowpipe, Teemo is by far one of the most popular characters in the franchise and that must also be considered when expecting a release of this magnitude: attracting new players is important to Riot’s undertaking in fighting games, and well-known famous faces would be great bets to be pretty much confirmed to make an appearance.

Heimerdinger

Also considering the popularity element, Heimerdinger is well-loved by not only League fans, but also among those who watched Arcane. It’s difficult to imagine him in melee combat, but the fact that Riot is creative enough to make it work is no secret to anyone. Maybe on top of a giant robot dinosaur?

The pirate land offers us plenty of options - and we even have Illaoi already confirmed, who is a character who comes from the Buhru islands, a part of the Bilgewater archipelago. So we might have fewer characters coming from this region, but we can dream at least.

Miss Fortune

Alongside Lux and Ahri, MF is currently the character with the highest number of Skins in League of Legends, became a champion in Runeterra relatively fast after the game launched and is dear to many fans' hearts. The same way Jinx is already confirmed, turning a shooter into an arena fighter wouldn’t be much of a hard time for developers, so it’s expected to see her around.

Gangplank

Another character popular among fans of the universe, who has also made several other appearances in other Riot games and would make many fans happy if he got his barrels to explode inside a fighting ring or command cannonballs to rain on top of adversaries for his special.

Fizz/Pyke/Tahm Kench

These three champions are in the monster-character category, and we may not have a lot of those in this game. As they are still normal-sized, humanoid creatures, at least one might make an appearance, but if it will be right from the launch is still unknown. If we try to guess just one out of the three, my money would be on Pyke.

Known for their armored characters who constantly shout out the name of their imposing city throughout League matches, Demacian fighters will surely make their appearance in 2XKO. Its champions are not just popular, but this region also has an abundance of melee and duelist characters.

Fiora

Famous for being the best fencer and duelist in Demacia, Fiora would be an easy character to adapt into a fighting game. She would be an excellent medium-range fighter with her rapier, and possibly a favorite among players who enjoy controlling the distance inside the Ring.

Garen

Just as much as Jarvan IV, Garen is connected with the Demacian Royal Lineage as one of the leaders of their powerful armies, but opposing to the prince, he is one of the most famous faces in Riot’s franchise and is also within the category of easy characters to learn how to understand and play, which would likely be kept in the new title.

Sylas

This is my strongest bet from this region to participate in the game. He is a melee fighter with special abilities and unique magical powers and could even be Riot’s approach to including a Composite character - a fighting game archetype that usually gives the character different kits and abilities depending on who they’re facing or how you control them - by making him steal abilities or even complete move sets from their opponents like he does with the Ultimates in the Rift.

With Yasuo and Ahri already confirmed, we are left with not many spots for more known faces from the mystical islands of the east. And the main issue is that this place is filled with martial artists, fighters, monks and guerrilla fighters. It was difficult to reduce this list into just a few names, but I will still try to make predictions, knowing there is a chance that no new character from this region will show up.

Lee Sin

The blind monk is an excellent choice to show up in 2XKO for obvious reasons. He is a martial artist and a powerful fighter, and also very popular among League players. He would fit very well into a Shoto or Rushdown archetype to dominate the battlefield with his diverse abilities and agile movements.

Irelia

Also a very popular and lore-influential character from Ionia, Irelia is another good competitor to show her mighty powers in the fighting arena. Her blades could even be translated into a Puppet character mechanic, which wasn’t presented to us so far among the characters who are already confirmed.

Sett

We don’t need to think too hard to reach this conclusion: Sett is literally the king of Ionian Arenas, uses his own fists to fight, and would end up as a perfect fit for the game’s initial roster.

There are not as many characters from these two regions as some others, and for this reason, they will be put together on a single topic. Among the possibilities, we can bet that characters such as Malphite or Skarner - who recently received its long-awaited rework - will not show up due to their monster-like appearances and colossal sizes, after all, Malphite is a literal mountain in the Runeterra universe. Let’s take a look at who might be there instead, shall we?

Nidalee

Characters that change style, stance or shape are exciting in fighting games due to their distinguished gameplay and opportunities to surprise their opponents. Nidalee is an excellent bet for this style of gameplay, besides having received recent reworks that made her more important in the Runeterra Universe. It would be a great addition, and I’m sure fans would be thrilled to see her around.

Qiyana

Her melee fighting style with a very short range weapon added to her high mobility could result in one of the most dangerous Rushdowns that we could imagine in titles within the genre. It’s easy to visualize this character in a fighting arena, and Riot’s adaptation to this new style, if she is present, would be wonderful.

Jax

“Imagine if I had a real weapon!”, says the famous grandmaster at arms from Icathia who, in every game that he shows up in, is strong and powerful in the right hands. He would probably be a zone controlling, counterattack focused fighter, fitting perfectly into a Shoto character, and this possibility could also expand even more the lore of a champion which already has huge significance in the Universe.

During the first sneak peek videos about 2XKO - when it was still called Project L - Katarina was a champion that showed up briefly at some moments, and it’s almost certain that she will be in the game, we just don’t know if it will be on its release or some future update.

Either way, let’s see who besides her and Darius (who is already 100% confirmed) would be interesting to see in the roster. Of course, just like Ionia, the chances are that other champions from this region being there from the release are lower, after all, we got fewer spots left with two already parts of it, but we know that Noxus is a nation made and built by warriors and for warriors, and it’s only fair that they would lend more of their powerful characters around here. In the end, we have no idea if Riot is taking a region-based roster into consideration as we are right now.

Riven

The exile has a big possibility to arrive in 2XKO. Her mechanics on League of Legends are based in mobility, damage and crowd control, three of the most important aspects in a fighting title. Besides that, she has strong connections with important characters in the lore, also being very popular among players.

Draven

Despite being an axe-throwing marksman on its original concept, we saw Draven fight quite well with his two blades in melee range against Riven herself during the outstanding cinematic Awaken, from 2019. Also, his story is built around him being a champion from the noxian arenas, which would make it even easier to adapt him to the new game genre.

Vladimir

Hemomancers - or mages who control blood - are powerful and mysterious in Runeterra, and Vladimir would not only be a good addition of another mage to accompany Ahri, who is the only one of this class confirmed so far, but has the visuals, lore connections and a cool chance of introducing a mechanic involving using his own health bar to attack an opponent or cast a special move. This would be a perfect execution of a character who offers a high-risk versus high-reward gameplay.

Although we already have Jinx and Ekko confirmed in the game since the first Beta tests, these two cities are the main stage of Arcane, the animated series produced by Riot Games and Fortiche studios and released on Netflix in 2022 and with a new season confirmed for the second half of 2024. Chances are that we’ll have even more known and cherished faces in this new title due to that, and here are my bets:

Vi

One of the most important main characters in Arcane, very popular among League players and an excellent fighter with her gigantic Hextech gauntlets, Vi is a great card for Riot to play when they release 2XKO. Famous for resolving things literally with her fists and arms (and sometimes her knees), players are placing huge expectations for her to be there, just like there are huge chances of actually having her in the arenas.

Warwick

The opportunity to add another monster character with good relevance among the community and in Arcane is perfect here. His popularity and well-known abilities fit in a fighting game setup, and controlling a werewolf fighting face-to-face against other fighters could be very, very fun.

Blitzcrank

Every fighting game has their Scorpion - the fighter who can pull their opponent towards themselves to guarantee a combo that usually ends up with the enemy getting very upset. There is no better option to abuse this mechanic than our beloved Blitz. Besides that, he is a humanoid robot with medium-large proportions who fights with his own fists. If we don’t see him right from the release date, there is a huge chance for an eventual update in which the steam golem comes to the game.

The ominous theme surrounding the Shadow Isles offers a very interesting range of characters that could easily be seen in a fighting game title, from a new Motaro in the form of Hecarim up to the chance of seeing Karthus trying to brawl against someone. But these possibilities are slightly lower if we compare with the easier bets to show up for a game of this genre. We’ll also add the continent of Camavor along with it, since we don’t have as many champions from this new region - or at least that haven’t been connected somehow with the Shadow Isles as well.

Viego

The Ruined King is a huge favorite among many players, having an entire game made by Riot Forge for his lore to be complete, besides a book, many events inside League and being a constant face in animations, cinematics and other media. A character with such big relevance is a strong candidate to have a confirmed arrival in 2XKO.

Thresh

The reasons used to speculate on the presence of both Blitzcrank and Viego fit equally for this character: a fighter armed with a scythe and a chain, able to pull enemies closer, besides being one of the most popular names among League of Legends fans, he would be a great addition to the available characters roster. A villain with such importance, charisma and power should not be overlooked.

Nilah

Although she would rather fight gigantic and monstrous creatures, it wouldn’t be the first time that a fighter equipped with a whip would show up in a fighting game. Her fast-paced style, along with her agility and movements, would fit easily in such a title.

The huge desert in Runeterra’s universe is home to many powerful warriors - but many of them are immense monsters, titanic crocodiles or legendary beings. Still, there are some famous faces left, loved and relevant, that could easily get down in the ring for this awaited release.

Sivir

Her weapon, the Chalicar, besides being used as a boomerang in League, could easily be adapted into a cutting melee blade from a fighting game perspective. Her popularity among players is high, and she is one of the originally released champions from Leagues original roster who still has huge relevance in the universe and the community.

K’Sante

A juggernaut who can take plenty of hits and pays back quite heavily, K’Sante is an interesting bet for us to have in 2XKO. His ability to hold enemies and drag them far away would be an excellent way of transforming him into a perfect Grappler on the release of the title, and it would leave many players very pleased.

Taliyah

Another possible addition of a mage character instead of a classic fighter as we usually expect, Taliyah is a strong candidate for her powerful abilities and many connections to plenty of other champions in Runeterra. Her ground and terrain controlling powers could make her a successful zoner and would give a nice energy to the current roster.

The huge mountain that touches the skies is the home of many magical beings, mighty creatures and even incomprehensible ones, but also counts with tribes, armies and warrior factions that are very well represented on the Rift, and now they’ll have an opportunity to show up in a fighting ring.

Leona

Symbolizing the Aspect of the Sun, Leona is a knight equipped with a sword and a big shield - besides being known for not letting her enemies move for a long period of time. A Grappler? A Rushdown? A Stance character switching from defense to offense? The possibilities are many, just like our bets on her to appear.

Diana

Symbolizing the Aspect of the Moon, Diana is the character who directly rivals Leona. Agile, strong, important to the lore and popular among players, there are big chances of her ending up being in 2XKO if her counterpart also shows up.

Pantheon

The Warrior from Rakkor, armed with his spear and shield would be the “perfect spartan” for the roster. He is popular among players, has protagonized cinematics and would be easily seen fighting in an arena on a title such as 2XKO.

Almost at the end of our list, we have the frozen mountains and tundras of the Freljord, where many of the most known champions come from. It is very hard to choose only a few among many viable options, but I managed to put together an interesting list.

Braum

One of Riot’s most loved faces when presenting its Universe to the world, Braum already has his participation on League, Wild Rift, Legends of Runeterra, Song of Nunu, Ruined King, besides many other appearances in videos, cinematics, promos, stories and many others. His popularity is no coincidence, as he is a favorite among the community with his unmatched charisma. All of that while being a juggernaut carrying a huge door.

Ashe

Just like Jinx, marksmen will surely make their appearance in 2XKO eventually, and Ashe is a strong competitor for the release. She is influential in the Universe, popular among players, and was also one of the forty initial champions released for League of Legends original roster. It would also be very interesting to see how the adaptation of her abilities with True Ice and a bow and arrow would be made.

Tryndamere

Another one from the original League roster, popular and who has also protagonized one of the most recent cinematics (and a favorite of the many players), Tryndamere has content, history, abilities and personality to be in 2XKO. Other good possibilities for this third freljordian spot would also be Olaf or Udyr for basically the same reasons, but I believe that the barbarian who challenges his own death is a stronger and more appropriate bet for the release.

Reaching the end of our regions list, we have the Void characters bringing a little bit of cosmic horror to the game’s aesthetic, which could be a great choice. It is complex to adapt monster-like, weird-shaped or even colossal characters into a brawling arena with a limited space on the screen, which brings me to some easier conclusions to be visualized while the game isn’t launched yet.

Malzahar

The prophet from the Void would be a great fit as a human character with ominous and magical powers, who invokes voidlings to help him out while hovering over the ring. Also, he is an old champion that never got redesigned, and that would be the perfect opportunity for Riot to explore new possible visuals or details that we might be missing on such an interesting and deep champion.

Kai’Sa

Main character of a big Void event plot, Kai’Sa is also one of the most overused champions in posters, animations and other media. She is very popular among players, besides being consistent in professional League of Legends meta for many consecutive years. These aspects will maybe affect Riot’s choices on deciding the roster, and her influence, charisma and popularity are the perfect elements for that.

Kha’Zix

Among the many options of creatures in the League of Legends universe, Kha’Zix is one of the few who doesn’t have a gigantic size or other big difficulties in design that could happen when transforming a champion into a fighting game character. The insectoid has a size quite similar to humans, is strong and fast, counts with many fans and would end up being an unstoppable Rushdown.

As aforementioned, the almost 170 champions in League, besides the unique champions in Legends of Runeterra, characters from Arcane and other great personalities in the Universe leave us with our mouths watering, wishing we could experiment playing with each one of them in 2XKO. After briefly analyzing and picking three from each place, I believe it’s good for us to mention some other fantastic faces that would make any fighting game fan fall in love with the game.

Samira, Shen, Akali and Zed, for example, are great competitors to eventually show up, but are also very similar to famous characters from other franchises of the fighting genre - such as Dante (who originally belongs to Devil May Cry) from Marvel vs. Capcom or the Ninjas from Mortal Kombat, who are nothing alike the mentioned ones in concept, but it could be a confusing aspect for new players who don’t know the League Universe so well.

The champion Jack, who is exclusive to Legends of Runeterra, would also be quite a fun addition to expand even more on what we know about him in the card game, besides being a successful arena boxer.

Following the extra media and the vast amount of content we have to observe, Sevika is a strong brawler from Zaun who has shown to be an actual fighting machine during her participation in Arcane, and could definitely be a fighter in 2XKO if Riot also finds it interesting.

While we anxiously await its release, 2XKO brings us a good feeling of anticipation for a new strong title to compete in the fighting game scene, which is a genre that has been heavily dominated by titles such as Super Smash Bros., Tekken and Street Fighter for many generations. There is absolutely nothing wrong with those games, but it is good to breathe some fresh air, with something that brings us new and unique visuals and mechanics such as every fighting being a Tag-team 2v2, its simple controls and enthralling characters joining the competition.

The way Riot innovates its universe and brings us new means of exploring it is exceptional for their fans and players, along with having a high-quality standard for their new releases. One thing that we will have to agree on is: Runeterra’s Universe is wonderful, and its characters leave a deep mark on millions of players around the world. I hope our most beloved characters eventually join the ring, and we can enjoy a fantastic game in a future that, with a little bit of luck, doesn’t seem so far away.