2XKO developers at Riot Games have confirmed that the upcoming 2v2 fighting game will have a cool feature in its closed beta that should allow for a wave of competitive tournaments to flourish before its full release.
This feature is offline play, confirmed by executive producer Tom Cannon on the 2XKO Discord. Now that may not sound like a big deal, but there are a few quirks and considerations that make this a bigger deal than you may assume. For one, all characters are playable offline.
That means that from the closed beta launch until the foreseeable future, new characters won’t have to be arduously unlocked or grinded out in-game to play with friends or at big tournaments. This is cool for everyone, but for tournament organisers who need dozens of set-ups with all characters unlocked, it’s a lifesaver.
On top of that, the lack of an online connection is a massive deal for these tournaments as it lowers costs. If you rent out a venue, you often have to pay for internet access. This can be expensive for larger events in convention centres or hotels. Plus, the internet in these venues isn’t always stable. In a competitive environment, having a local match fall apart due to an internet connection would be a major problem.
Riot Games is essentially making this decision to lend a head to the competitive space, which even today acts as a major foundation for the genre’s popularity. Be it smaller events in your local cities, or annual super-events bringing in thousands of players, the in-person experience remains central to the overall enjoyment of fighting games.
2XKO has been present at the largest of these events – Evo – in the years prior to its release. The reason being a consistent source of feedback from players of all levels of skill and a way of telling genre diehards that this new company stepping into the space understands what the core audience values. So if you’re excited for 2XKO, or just want an excuse to get out of the house in September when the closed beta launches, this is certainly good news for you.