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"Why Are We Actin' Surprised" | TP&C | Episode 110
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Think Pieces and Conversations | Episode 110 – Why Are We Acting Surprised?
In this episode of Think Pieces and Conversations, I break down the recent situation surrounding 2XKO and explain why, honestly, none of this should be shocking anybody.
We get into the mistakes that were made from the jump — the marketing mistakes, the launch mistakes, the creative mistakes, the delays, the lack of urgency, and the overall failure to understand what it actually takes for a fighting game to survive in today’s climate. Fighting games are one of the most demanding genres in gaming. They are niche, competitive, time-intensive, and they require people to truly want to invest in them. If the presentation, the rollout, the content, and the identity are not strong enough, people will move on fast.
I also talk about one of the biggest points of the entire episode: the importance of IP. In gaming, IP matters. Branding matters. Recognition matters. Marketing power matters. A game does not just need to be good — it needs to have an identity that instantly pulls people in. It needs to have characters, worldbuilding, and brand power that people emotionally connect to before they even touch the controller.
That’s part of where I believe 2XKO miscalculated. Riot moved with a certain level of confidence — almost arrogance — like they were launching a fighting game with a globally irresistible IP on the level of Marvel or Street Fighter, when in reality, League of Legends is a huge IP, but not one that automatically translates into fighting game investment. It is established, yes — but not established enough in this genre to make people lock in off name alone. And when you add a weak launch roster, limited content, unclear direction, and years of delays, that confidence starts to look completely misplaced.
I also discuss how crazy and unforgiving the gaming industry is right now. A company can spend millions of dollars and years of development time on a project, only for the game to flame out in a matter of weeks. That’s how volatile this space has become. We talk about the current state of the FGC, what modern fighting games need in order to actually thrive, and why launching with only 12 characters — while coming from an IP with over 170 League of Legends champions — feels like a massive missed opportunity.
This episode is about more than just 2XKO. It’s about why fighting games fail, why some succeed, and why marketing, IP power, launch content, character appeal, and clear direction matter more than ever in 2026.
If you’ve been following 2XKO, the FGC, or the future of fighting games in general, this is one of those conversations you’ll want to hear all the way through.
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