2XKO is introducing an offline mode where every champion is unlocked right from the get-go. This is a huge relief for grassroots tournament organizers who might love the idea of hosting events around the game but definitely aren’t fans of the heavy lifting involved in unlocking all the champions on multiple accounts.
The news was dropped earlier this month during a community tour in France. During a lively group Q&A session, Tom Cannon, the executive producer of 2XKO, shared the announcement in an almost impromptu fashion. “Should I say it?” he mused, before deciding, “Why not?” and enlightening the crowd.
“We recognize the hassle involved in setting up multiple stations at a tournament. It shouldn’t be a burdensome task. We want you to run your tournaments seamlessly offline without the need for going through endless loops to unlock champions,” Cannon explained.
“So here’s the plan. You’re gonna be able to dive into this game offline. I hope I’m not giving too much away here,” he chuckled. “Tournament organizers will have all the champions at their disposal without the tedious grind. While it won’t include everything like skins, at least you can play the game offline during tournaments. That’s our big draw.”
“We want to keep nurturing grassroots tournaments, so we’re eager to hear your experiences and what features would be beneficial,” he added.
For those who oversee competitive fighting game events, this update is a game-changer. An always-online fighting game can be an organizational headache. Organizers would need reliable internet at the venue, which could mean dishing out substantial fees for multi-day events. Plus, the hassle of unlocking new characters across multiple accounts would be eliminated—a huge time-saver. This feature is an absolute win.
However, there’s still a lingering question: how does this offline mode mesh with Vanguard Anti-Cheat? This always-online system by Riot Games operates from the moment you power up your computer, with kernel-level access, and can’t be switched off when running Riot Games’ titles, including League of Legends and Valorant. If this offline mode is launched through the Riot Games launcher, like the current 2XKO Alpha Lab tests, it might clash with Vanguard’s fundamental purpose.
We’ve reached out to Riot Games regarding this concern but haven’t gotten a response yet.
Still, this feature seems to cater perfectly to the dedicated community likely to attend in-person events to showcase their skills. I can’t help but inject a bit of my own perspective here—I wouldn’t count on this mode being available to the regular player. Given that 2XKO is a free-to-play game, it needs to drive revenue from its community. This offline mode could be a more exclusive tool for verified tournament organizers.
So, for now, we’ll have to wait and see how this offline mode develops. What are your thoughts on this new feature? Share them with us in the comments!
