One LoL champ has already been axed from 2XKO’s starting roster

Fans of the League of Legends assassin, Katarina, might be surprised to learn she won’t be joining the fight in 2XKO at launch. While an early teaser featuring Katarina against Jinx fueled speculation about her inclusion, during a recent State of the Game Panel at EVO, Game Director Shaun Rivera shared the sinister Blade won’t be among the roster of champions available at launch.

Rivera revealed that Katarina wasn’t always envisioned for a tag-team format. In the game’s early stages, when it was still a 1v1 fighter, Katarina was the champion mostly used to test out new skills and additions of new champions, making it feel like “only Katrina was playable,” he said. However, the transition to a 2v2 dynamic presented a challenge.

“Katarina had a ton of mechanics,” Rivera explained, “and we felt we didn’t do her justice and how cool we can make her, to elevate her fantasy, and so she’s not gonna be there for the launch roster because we have to remake her entirely.”

Rivera also shared he himself is a big fan of the champion, promising he wouldn’t let the dev team release the assassin unless she was “good as hell.”

For now, the confirmed roster for 2XKO boasts a diverse cast of League favorites, from ad carry Jinx to fighter Darius, each offering a unique playstyle. A recent addition to the group of playable champions in 2XKO is the Heart of the Freljord Braum, whose release was warmly welcomed by fans of the fighting game and newcomers to the title. But among the confirmed champions there was also news about a specific group of characters from Runeterra that might never reach the fighting game. 

With the alpha test just around the corner, anticipation for 2XKO continues to build. While Katarina might not be a launch option, her eventual arrival, fully realized for the 2v2 format, promises to be a highlight for fans of the champion.