I can still remember the first time I watched the Project L gameplay sneak peek. It was late 2021, Arcane had just wrapped its final act, and Riot Games was teasing a fighting game that felt almost too good to be true. Now, in 2026, that project has grown into 2XKO, and I have spent plenty of time thinking about how those early reveals hold up. The game has changed names, expanded its roster, and moved through alpha tests and public betas, but the core fantasy remains: League of Legends champions trading blows in a 2v2 tag fighter. 🎮

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When I look back at the original Project L preview, I see Darius and Ahri first. Darius felt like a bulldozer, swinging his Noxian ax in wide overhead arcs and juggling Ahri like she weighed nothing. Ahri, meanwhile, crackled with electric energy, and in the reveal she electrocuted Darius to turn the tide. That first footage was brief, but it told me Riot understood something important: a fighting game based on League has to feel like League. The champions should not just be skins pasted onto generic movesets. They should move like their MOBA counterparts, with the same personality and tools.

The Sneak Peek That Sold Me on Ekko and Jinx

The later sneak peek focused on two champions who were not in the first reveal: Jinx and Ekko. What caught my eye immediately was that Riot used their Arcane models. That choice tied the fighting game directly to the animated series, and as a fan of both, I loved it. Jinx has been the cover girl for League of Legends for years now, between Arcane, her Fortnite skin, and her chaotic presence in every trailer. In Project L, her moveset looked exactly how I wanted it to look: long-ranged and explosives-heavy. She pulled out her iconic shark gun, Fishbones, and her Gatling gun, Pow Pow. I could almost hear her laughing as she filled the screen with rockets and bullets.

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Ekko, though, was the star of the sneak peek. Developers Tom and Tony Cannon went deep into his kit, and I remember leaning forward when they explained his time-reversal ability. In 2XKO today, that idea still feels ambitious. Ekko can rewind his mistakes, which means I can play recklessly, bait a punish, and then snap back to safety. He can also use time manipulation to juggle opponents in powerful combos. His Chrono-Strike looked like a reliable base attack with his sword, while Time Winder, a thrown grenade, slowed the opponent and extended combos. As a player who loves tricky, high-mobility characters, I knew Ekko would be my main before I ever touched the controls.

What the Early Roster Looked Like

Champion Fighting Style Signature Tools My First Impression
Ekko Tricky rushdown with time control Chrono-Strike, Time Winder, rewind A combo monster with a get-out-of-jail-free card ⏳
Jinx Long-range zoner with explosives Fishbones, Pow Pow Chaos at a distance, exactly as she should be 🦈
Darius Heavy-hitting juggernaut Noxian ax, overhead attacks A wall of damage who wants to corner you 🪓
Ahri Electric poke and support Electrocution, assist tools The perfect partner for a rushdown champion ⚡
Katarina Agile assassin Blades and mobility A threat I cannot wait to see more of 🌀

At the time of that sneak peek, only Ekko, Jinx, Darius, Ahri, and Katarina had been revealed. Katarina was not shown in the sneak peek itself, but she appeared in the first preview, and her presence suggested Riot was thinking about fast, execution-heavy characters. In 2026, 2XKO has a much larger roster and a thriving community, but I still measure every new champion against those original five. The game has also evolved into a true 2v2 tag fighter, where assists and synergy matter as much as solo combos. That was already visible when Ahri provided support for Ekko in the sneak peek.

Why I Still Care About Project L in 2026

Part of why I keep coming back to 2XKO is that it respects the source material without being trapped by it. Darius does not need to last-hit minions. Ahri does not need to land Charm to be useful. Instead, their League identities are translated into fighting-game archetypes. Jinx zones. Ekko mixes. Darius brawls. Ahri supports. Katarina assassinates. That design philosophy is why I believe the game has lasted. It is also why I am excited for future champions. Riot has a deep bench of League of Legends characters, and every new reveal feels like a chance to see a favorite reimagined.

Some things I hope to see next:

  • More support-focused champions that can enable wild tag combos.

  • A true grappler, because I want to see what Riot does with a tank like Braum or Sett.

  • More Arcane-inspired skins, since the Jinx and Ekko models looked stunning.

  • Cross-play and rollback netcode, which are essential for a modern fighter.

Still, when I boot up 2XKO in 2026, I sometimes think back to that grainy Project L sneak peek. I remember Ekko rewinding time, Jinx firing Fishbones, Darius swinging his ax, and Ahri crackling with electricity. The game has come a long way since then, but the excitement I felt has never really faded. If Riot keeps polishing the gameplay and adding champions with this much care, I will be here for every new reveal. 🎮