Caitlyn in 2XKO and too long combos: Riot on state of the game

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Shaun Rivera from the 2XKO team recently updated the community on two key things: how Caitlyn plays as a fighter, and upcoming changes to combo balance.

Even though it’s still being tested, 2XKO is already impressive thanks to the developers’ open communication. Recently, the team at Riot Games released a quick video update before taking a break for the winter.

The update includes standard information, such as a reminder about the console launch and a look back at the first competitive season. Shaun Rivera also took the time to respond to concerns raised by players.

Caitlyn joins 2XKO, and she is not a hitscan character

A new character for 2XKO has been revealed: Caitlyn Kiramman. She’s a popular ranged damage dealer (ADC) from the original game, League of Legends, and has gained even wider recognition through the animated series, Arcane.

As the next 2XKO character, Caitlyn was first shown during the Games Awards 2025 show.

The new trailer all but confirms that the game 2XKO will be released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox in January 2025. The trailer ends with a glimpse of Caitlyn, who walks over a ‘Wanted’ poster for Jinx and prepares to fire her sniper rifle.

A major worry among 2XKO players is that Caitlyn is being designed as a character who attacks instantly, without needing to lead her shots. This would make it very hard to dodge her attacks and effectively fight against her in the game.

  • Caitlyn is not a hitscan character, and Shaun Rivera has clearly confirmed this.

We’re excited to announce that Caitlyn will be the next playable character, arriving early next year! We can’t wait for you to try her out.

You’ll be surprised when you start playing her, honestly. Just to let you know, she isn’t a character who instantly registers hits. I’m excited to see who masters her and consistently lands those critical shots.

Shaun Rivera, the Game Director and Gameplay Design Lead of 2XKO at Riot Games

So Jinx and the others can rest assured they will have a fair fight against Caitlyn.

Hitscan characters in fighting games explained

The developers seem to be designing Caitlyn as a complex, tech-focused character, and it will be important to see how that plays out in the actual game.

Like many fighting game characters who use guns, Happy Chaos in Guilty Gear Strive deals damage with bullets. He’s a ‘hitscan’ character, meaning his shots connect instantly when aimed at an opponent – there’s no travel time for the bullets.

Triglav, a move used by JP in Street Fighter 6, is another example of a ‘hitscan’ attack. Unlike projectiles, it connects instantly with the opponent – there’s no travel time for the attack to cross the screen.

Long combos are getting a big rebalance in 2XKO

After openly discussing how to make the game fairer, the 2XKO team tackled the problem of overly long attack combinations. While players enjoy dealing a lot of damage, it’s discouraging to take so much damage yourself and watch your winning chances disappear.

We don’t know yet how this aspect will be addressed, as it’s a long, gradual process.

We agree that the combos in our game are currently too long, and we’re actively working on fixing this right now.

Just to be upfront, this won’t be fixed right away with our first update next season. It’s going to take several attempts and updates over time to fully resolve.

The biggest issue is that even small changes can have widespread consequences.

Shaun Rivera

The team behind 2XKO recently highlighted the exciting world of esports. Notably, Jo’siah “Hikari” Miller had an incredible run, winning five events in First Impact.

It’s going to be exciting to see what he and the other best players accomplish at the first 2XKO Major, taking place at Frosty Faustings XVIII from January 29th to February 1st.

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2025-12-18 16:41