Is 2XKO Too Hard? Pros Weigh In
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The 2XKO Alpha playtest has been out for a few days and a lot of fighting game fans have already changed their minds about their excitement for the 2v2 fighter.
Leading up to the 2XKO Alpha, the FGC was beyond excited. Riot taking on a fighting game is huge, meaning a massive publisher would support the esports scene and shine a light on the niche-yet-growing fighting game community. The concept of the game focusing on teamwork and two-player combos has also been a refreshing take on the genre.
Now that players have tried out the game, however, the discourse has changed.
Related Article: How to Unlock Champions in 2XKO
Is 2XKO Actually Too Hard?
The biggest complaint about 2XKO during the Alpha playtest is that the game is simply too complex. A lot of fighting game players are having issues understanding the game's tricky controls and focus on mixes that are tough to pull off. To put it simply — 2XKO is not seen as an accessible game for beginners.
Pro Tekken player Phi "PhiDX" Lam said: "It took years of experience in League, Melee, and Tekken to figure out how to have a good relationship with losing, and I was STILL trying my hardest to not tilt in 2XKO."
He went on to call the game "overwhelming," especially for players not used to tag-team fighting games. After six hours of grinding, PhiDX admitted to still hitting the wrong buttons.
Fighting game fans replied with similar sentiments. Some said that the game just wasn't fun due to the combos going on forever and a lack of neutral gameplay. Others agreed that you can only play fighters in your skill level, pointing out that newer players that try to play pros would just be "mixed to s—."
Μy perspective that no one asked for:
— DSG ︎ ︎| ︎ PhiDX (@PhiDXGames) August 9, 2024
It took years of experience in league, melee, and Tekken to figure out how to have a good relationship with losing, and I was STILL trying my hardest to not tilt in 2XKO
I have played DBFZ as my only tag game experience, and even with that,… https://t.co/gfxIhzqNAI
Other fighting game fans and pros agreed with the discussion. All across X there are tweets about the game being tough for non-fighting game players to enjoy since it can often feel "helpless" when you can't block against mixes.
I personally am excited to lab 2XKO but seeing lots of non FG players feeling like this isn’t the game for them was what I thought would happen
— Justin Wong (@JWonggg) August 10, 2024
The concept of blocking is hard especially in a mix heavy game like 2XKO. Most people even FG players would feel helpless in many…
2XKO definitely feels like a fighting game made for people who love fighting games.
— Sajam (@Sajam) August 10, 2024
I don't think they'll have any problems getting people who like the genre in. Next step is onboarding all the other gamers.
First thoughts on 2xko. This game was not meant for -everyone-. 6 buttons that confuse even me. Gameplay that feels like a more complex mvci/powerrangers/bbtag. Super ham and oppressive, but also kinda lame that makes it seem easy to timeout someone. This is a game of all time!!!
— Chris G (@NYChrisG) August 9, 2024
Not everyone in the fighting game community was complaining, however.
During a time when fighting games are trying to appeal to the masses, like Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 including a lot of practice modes and easier control schemes, some in the FGC are happy about 2XKO's complexities. This includes William "Leffen" Hjelte, who is in the middle of a 12-day 2XKO streaming marathon.
woke up in the middle of the night and cant stop thinking 2xko…
— Void (@gsmVoiD) August 9, 2024
oh man i cant wait to wake up again
Streamed 19 hours straight of 2XKO this game is absolute crack
— TSM Leffen (@TSM_Leffen) August 9, 2024
Some of the devastating combos may not be part of the game when it officially comes out. Game Director Shaun Rivera took to X to explain that some overpowered combos are not intentional and are actually the result of a bug.
Hey All,
— Shaun Rivera (@Unconkable) August 10, 2024
I replied to a similar clip on the 2XKO subreddit, but wanted to do so here as well.
First of all, we really appreciate all of the Alpha Lab playtesters for cracking the game open and finding some really fun and powerful stuff. I wanted to speak more directly to what… https://t.co/W2h9y8HVZq
This most likely won't be enough to change the fighting game community's mind. 2XKO is clearly a game for hardcore fighting game enthusiasts. While new players can learn, it may have a tougher learning curve than other fighting games out right now.