Feedback on Recent System Changes
Hey @yohosiefgc , really glad to see the team finally making changes to meter and Handshake tag, and acknowledging just how dominant Freestyle is in the game right now. This is a big step in the right direction, and people are genuinely happy about it.
2XKO’s characters are seriously sick, honestly better than most fighting games I know. A lot of the issues are actually rooted in the core systems instead of the characters, so it’s really great to see the team recognize this and focus there next.
Core Suggestion: Remove Starting Meter & Revert Level 3 Cost
Could we remove the free meter at round start and bring Level 3 back to 2 bars?
I believe that’s the main reason behind all the Level 1 spam, and why people get frustrated with long combos.
I get that the original change was meant to make Level 3 feel more impactful and allow early parries, but from what I’ve seen, early parries just aren’t that exciting. They’re often misused and put players in bad spots early, which can snowball into losing the round, and that feels bad for everyone.
Also, starting with 2 bars often enables early combo routes into Level 1, which can make combos feel unnecessarily long. Here’s a video example: without the super animation, the same combo drops from 21.38 seconds to 13.48 seconds. What a huge improvement!
Meter Economy & Match Flow
I know the team has already reduced meter gain and added more Break charge, but too much Break can end up feeling just as annoying as frequent super cut-ins.
Right now, meter is still so plentiful that it almost never runs out, which ends up pushing a lot of players into repeating the same patterns for most of the round.
If the free meter were removed, the game could naturally flow through distinct early, mid, and late phases based on meter economy. That would go a long way in deepening the game and opening up more room for character expression, leading to more meaningful interaction and decision-making, which is exactly what players have been hoping for.
The Reward of Building & Using Supers
Building up meter and cashing it out with a super at the right moment should be one of the most intuitive ways for casual players to understand how to win.
It’s also supposed to be one of the most hype moments in a fighting game, kind of like popping your ult in League. But in 2XKO right now, it just doesn’t feel that way. Players sometimes even wish they could skip it.
And a big reason for that is getting it for free takes away the sense of earning that reward.
Parry Adjustments & Alternative Buffs
Parry is actually my favorite mechanic, but if it ends up making Level 1 feel annoying, I’d honestly rather it not be available early on.
I also think there are plenty of other ways to buff it. For example, changes like Darius’s S2 in the last patch were a great step—they gave certain strong moves clearer counterplay while also making parry timing more deliberate and meaningful.
Maybe we could also add a Fuse that allows for free parries—this would make a parry-focused playstyle more viable, without disrupting the rest of the system.
Level 3 Spam & Accessibility
Some people might worry that bringing Level 3 back to 2 bars would make it too spammable, but in practice, players still need to earn those same 2 bars during the round, just like they do now. And unlike in the Alpha, meter now resets each round, so it’s not nearly as cheap as it might sound.
From testing, it feels like in most situations each character would realistically have access to at most two Level 1 or a single Level 2 per round, and they naturally show up as clean finishers—Everything just clicks!
Also, requiring 3 bars usually means many casuals get fewer chances to actually use it. And since in 2XKO you can already deal high damage without supers, even when they finally build one up, it rarely delivers that same satisfying comeback moment you get in many other fighting games.
By the way, I also think 2 is kind of a signature number for 2XKO, so tying the ultimate to that could make it feel more distinctive and memorable, and maybe even open up some interesting design space down the line.
Double Down’s Clarity & Purpose
At the same time, this would also make Double Down really stand out as the go-to mode for playing with friends.
It helps players intuitively understand that with just 1 bar each, they can combine their supers to deal solid damage together. That kind of clarity goes a long way in lowering the barrier to entry, so even newcomers who might not be comfortable with combos yet can still have a great time with their friends.
Right now, Double Down feels like it leans too much toward being a niche Super Tag mechanic that only a small group of players really pick up on, rather than fulfilling its intended purpose.
Closing Thoughts
2XKO has incredible potential—it’s honestly more fun than most fighting games I’ve played. What it really needs is some refinement to its core systems.
I can genuinely feel how much passion and love the team has poured into 2XKO, more than I can put into words, and I sincerely want to see it succeed.
Sorry if my English isn’t as concise as it could be, but I really wanted to get these thoughts across.
Really appreciate you taking the time to read through all of this.
I built a petition — to show Riot what this community can offer: designers, artists, marketing, finance, content creators, all ready to help keep this game alive.
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#Save2XKO
with league classic coming soon, i remembered this drawing i did 6 years ago when thinking about riot making a gamemode that would let you play champions before their rework