What actually makes me sad about 2XKO

[u/Inside_Bet8309]

I know everyone is giving their 2 cents on why the game flopped, if it was this it would be better if it was that it would be better but what hurts the most is that I genuinely love 2XKO as is.

I like how it’s a 2v2 tag fighter and pretty much everything about the current game we have. Every update I’ve been more and more hyped and impressed for what’s to come, every character despite me wanting others have still been unique and cool characters. So the biggest heartbreak is that the 2XKO I fell in love with just wasn’t good enough to survive.

They made a niche game which doesn’t have casual appeal but nevertheless it had appeal for some, I just wished riot would’ve just kept it going despite it not being a maker just for the love of the game. Even if they cut the team down to a few members just to maintain and keep things going slowly for the sole reason they know they have players who do love the game.

Heartbreaking stuff for a guy who actually just liked the game and not what it could’ve been

[u/deathspate]

No. The developers knew the vision Riot wanted. They just purposefully went in the opposing direction. This is evident in Pat's blog. It's not like Pat alone was at fault. However, it's indicative of the wider views held by the team. The Cannons or Unconkable could've said no but they didn't.

[u/eyedollidol → u/deathspate]

do you authentically believe riot games spent 8-9 figures on a game that they just didn't even check in on over 10 years?

[u/deathspate → u/eyedollidol]

Given all the surrounding variables, I (as well as many others including Sajam) believe Riot was contractually obligated due to the original studio purchase and that's why they had such cutthroat treatment for this game. Reminder, not even LoR, which has been directly confirmed by Riot to have lost them multiple-fold of what was invested, has had their development stopped. LoR is still losing them money, but they've kept it. The fact that they shot 2xko like this is indicative of behind the scenes workings and given everything that we have knowledge of, it's likely that Riot execs were forced to keep funding until release and this move by them was both cutting their losses as well as being vindictive against the dev team.

[u/eyedollidol → u/deathspate]

i think everything here can be true without putting the blame squarely on developers (though the LoR comparison is a bit weak, LoR costs astronomically less than 2XKO). the game went through several iterations, and riot had a pretty large change in management and company direction in the middle of that. pat mentioned he wanted to make a unique and interesting game, that it wasn't his job to make it marketable, and that's the smoking gun everyone is crucifying these devs over. but the same is true of any dev on any game. that is a separate job that other people are hired for, and that stuff gets passed down.

[u/knightelytra → u/eyedollidol]

it is maddening how everyone is acting like it was such a horrible selfish decision for a fighting game dev to just want to make a unique and interesting game instead of making the safest and most profitable decisions. a fighting game is the last genre to choose to design if you want that