2XKO

I've always found that free-to-play and the fighting genre have rarely gelled. There's one good example I can think of - which is Brawlhalla - but with titles like MultiVersus you can understand why fighters often go for the premium experience. There are plenty of people who enjoy fighting games for more than just their online components, for example, and with a free-to-play model you rarely see good single-player modes emerge. Nevertheless, I'm always happy to be proven wrong, and League of Legends developer Riot appears to have captured lightning in a bottle for its tag fighter 2XKO.

Lightning in a bottle is a good way to describe a lot of 2XKO's charm, actually. It's fast, flashy, and so far has only been around for a short while, so its long-term staying power is unknown. For now, though, I can safely say I really, really enjoy this breathlessly quick take on tag fighting. It has been too long since we've had a properly good tag fighter break into the mainstream, and while Mortal Kombat 1 introduced its half-arsed tag mechanic with Kameos, this is a proper 2v2 brawler, where you can pair up with a friend or make the most of both your characters by yourself.

While I've been over a lot of what makes 2XKO great in my preview of the game, it's worth reiterating here that the synergy on offer between your two Champions feels great no matter who you pick. You're not making a team comp when you select your Champs; you're grabbing two characters you like, knowing they'll play off each other in unique and helpful ways no matter your decision. Swapping between characters, making the most of their assists in the neutral space or in between combos, it all simply works, and even after dropping the game for a little while following early access, it was quick and easy to pick it back up.

That said, 2XKO is not a beginner friendly fighter. Sure, you can turn on pulse combos and mash to your heart's content, but you'll get easily countered and battered by someone who knows what they're doing. It's a deceptively simple-looking game at first, with layers and layers of depth that are genuinely surprising for a game given out for free. For a fighting game fan, this will be enough to keep you coming back, to keep you going for one more match until the bleak light of a winter morning peers through your window. For people who want more of a casual experience, this might turn you off the game quickly.

Then again, the visual styling of the characters and the flashy effects on screen might be enough to keep you around. It's clear to see where 2XKO's visual inspirations come from, but it's hard to say it's really copying any one of them. The game looks as unique as it feels to play, which is a huge boon in retaining players. Sure, the in-game avatars you get might look a bit chopped if you don't like the Chibi style, but the main roster is wonderfully detailed, looking different from their League of Legends and Arcane counterparts, but still retaining enough of the character details you love that you instantly recognise them. In a genre where looking cool is often as important as the game playing well to keep players, this is a huge win in 2XKO's favour.

The game also has a great sound. Punches hit with a solid thwack, the soundtrack offers brilliant electric trills to get you pumped for the next match, and the other beeps and boops you hear while matchmaking remind you of waiting your turn to get battered by the big kid at the arcade (in Street Fighter, of course). I personally love the attention to detail on Blitzcrank's audio. Yes, he's my favourite character, but I would love his little train whistles, electric shocks, and friendly voice lines as he slams his opponent on the floor no matter what. Each character truly feels unique in 2XKO, and a lot of that is down to their sound.

That said, I do have a little bit of a gripe with the roster, in that it is small for a fighter, especially a tag one. We have 12 fighters at the time of writing for the game's full release, which means you're going to see a fair amount of repetition in who your team is up against. This is a mostly ignorable issue, though, as I can't help but respect the sheer amount of graft Riot has put into making every character feel unique to play, beyond just a core mechanic and look. You can't just drag and drop each Champion into zoner, brawler, grappler, and other categories, as instead it feels like each Champ is a class unto themselves in many respects. Teemo and Caitlyn, for example, play the keepaway game in entirely different ways, and while you might want to get up close and personal with Darius, Warwick, and Blitzcrank, their approaches to that end goal are completely separate.

I love the roster, I do, but I'm not sure I love the idea of getting customisation options for them. Monetisation is of course a big deal in 2XKO, as the game is free at the end of the day so Riot has to make some money somewhere. However, in this age of battle passes and £20 skins, it seems unfortunately 2XKO will follow trends rather than break away from them. This doesn't affect the game itself, and obviously you can avoid it if you wish, but to throw an £85 charge at people for three Arcane skins is a slap in the face that still leaves a mark even months later.

Outside of the game not being too friendly for complete beginners (especially once they remove pulse combos), it having a small roster, some overpriced skins and a few teensy network problems in multiplayer, I can wholeheartedly recommend 2XKO. In a time where it seems like mainstream fighting games have taken a stumble, a brilliantly fast and addictive tag fighter like 2XKO is warmly welcome in a genre that needs more new and great titles. Here's hoping 2026 can continue to be a tremendous year for fighters, but even if Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls misses the mark, at least we kicked off the year with a proper brawling banger.