2XKO is making waves with its announcement of an offline mode that comes with all playable champions unlocked. This feature is a big win for grassroots tournament organizers who are keen to host events based around the game without the hassle of grinding to unlock champions across multiple accounts.
The news came to light during a 2XKO community tour stop in France earlier this month. During a group Q&A session, executive producer Tom Cannon was initially hesitant about revealing too much but then decided to share the exciting detail. “I understand setting up for a tournament can be challenging. We want to make it easier for you to host tournaments offline, without the need to unlock champions one by one,” Cannon shared with a laugh.
“You’ll be able to play the game offline,” he continued. “While you won’t have access to all content, such as skins, you will be able to play the game in tournament mode. That’s the feature we’re focusing on.”
This development is fantastic news for those who organize fighting game events. The necessity of an always-online connection can pose significant obstacles in a competitive setting, not to mention the potential costs of ensuring stable internet over several days. By providing unlocked champions, 2XKO is taking a huge burden off organizers who would otherwise have to unlock content manually.
However, the big question remains: How will this offline mode interact with Vanguard Anti-Cheat, Riot Games’ ever-vigilant system? Vanguard, which operates at a kernel level from the moment you power up your computer, isn’t typically something you can switch off while games by Riot are running. If this offline mode uses the Riot Games launcher, similar to the current 2XKO Alpha Lab tests, it might present a technical challenge.
We’ve reached out to Riot Games to get clarification on this aspect, but as of now, we haven’t heard back.
Regardless, this feature is sure to be a hit within the hardcore gaming community that’s always eager to test their skills in face-to-face matchups. Personally, I suspect this offline mode will remain an exclusive feature largely reserved for official tournament organizers. 2XKO, being a free-to-play game, naturally needs to monetize in some way, so offering this feature to everyone might not be financially viable.
We’ll need to wait patiently for further updates regarding this offline mode. What are your thoughts on this feature? Share your opinions in the comments below!
