Riot Games has confirmed that Akali and Senna are joining 2XKO in 2026, marking the first major champion reveal since the team outlined its revised plans for the year. The announcement comes as Riot continues reshaping its approach to the League of Legends fighting game following internal restructuring and a slower-than-expected launch period.
Game Director Shaun “Unconkable” Rivera shared the update directly with players on 13 February, confirming both characters are currently in development and offering a broader look at what is next for 2XKO.
Akali And Senna Officially Revealed For 2XKO
Akali is set to become 2XKO’s next playable champion. Staying true to her assassin roots from League of Legends, she is described as a sharp, stylish ninja built around precision and lethal execution. Early previews position her as a fast-paced character designed to reward strong reactions and creative combo routing.
Senna, meanwhile, brings a very different toolkit. Wielding her relic cannon, she will alternate between long-range pressure and close-range spectral aggression. According to Riot, Senna can control space with ranged blasts before shifting into a wraith-like form to rush opponents down.
Riot had previously confirmed that five champions are planned for 2026. Akali and Senna are the first two formally detailed following that roadmap confirmation in January.
Development Update Follows Team Restructuring
The champion reveal lands shortly after Riot acknowledged staffing changes within the 2XKO team. As reported in our earlier coverage, Riot Games reduced roughly half of the global development team after player engagement and overall momentum failed to meet expectations.
Executive Producer Tom Cannon previously confirmed the internal assessment that led to the changes. Riot also scaled its annual plan from five seasons down to three for 2026.
Despite that shift, Rivera emphasised that the team remains fully committed to building 2XKO for the fighting game community, particularly those invested in high-level competitive play.
Local Duo Mode In Development
Beyond new champions, Riot is actively developing a Local Duo Mode. This feature will allow two players to team up locally in couch co-op and compete online together, leaning into the game’s tag-based mechanics.
The goal is to make duo play more accessible and strengthen the social experience, particularly for console audiences. 2XKO recently ranked among the top three most downloaded titles on PlayStation Plus, giving Riot incentive to further support that player base.
While no release date has been confirmed, Rivera stated that Local Duo Mode is a top priority and the team is working to implement it as quickly as possible.
Balance Changes And Competitive Focus
Riot also addressed ongoing balance discussions. Rivera clarified that 2XKO will remain fast-paced with a high skill ceiling. The team does not plan to slow the game down, instead focusing on refining character identities.
Yasuo and Ekko were specifically mentioned. While considered some of the flashiest characters on the roster, Riot acknowledged that their weaknesses are not currently defined clearly enough at top-level play. Adjustments are planned to ensure each champion has more distinct strengths and trade-offs.
On the competitive side, the 2026 Challenger Series is already underway. The next event takes place at Genesis X3, with Riot continuing to invest in tournament support. The publisher is also building a new programme that will provide local tournament organisers with exclusive in-game prizing that cannot be earned elsewhere, aiming to strengthen grassroots communities.
Ranked Issues And Technical Fixes
Riot briefly touched on a few ongoing concerns. The team is monitoring edge cases in the Ranked matchmaking system to ensure fairer matches, particularly at higher tiers.
Console players have also raised concerns about screen tearing during gameplay. Riot confirmed it is working on a future update to address this issue, though no timeline was provided.
What This Signals For 2XKO In 2026
The confirmation of Akali and Senna helps stabilise the conversation around 2XKO after a turbulent few weeks. With a leaner development team and a trimmed seasonal roadmap, Riot appears focused on depth over volume, prioritising core gameplay clarity, competitive integrity, and social accessibility.
More details on both champions are expected in the coming months, including full gameplay breakdowns. For now, players have two major additions to theorycraft around as 2XKO continues shaping its identity within the fighting game scene.