2XKO’s long-awaited console release is almost upon us, letting those on PlayStation and Xbox throw down with a select few League of Legends characters in what is shaping up to be a pretty great-looking fighting game. Not only does it look good, but developer Riot Games is also promising updates and character additions at a faster pace than its biggest rivals too.
It’s got a lot going for it, but what matters most is how it plays. For the most part, impressions have been positive so far, but not everyone is pleased with the game’s balance patch coming with Season 1. To put it bluntly, there are a few fighting game pros out there that seem to think Riot doesn’t quite know what it’s doing, especially with some of the game’s more powerful characters.
2XKO Players Aren’t Happy With Braum And Warwick Buffs
Of course, there are good things about Season 1’s balance patches. For starters, characters considered top tier, like Yasuo, Ahri, and Ekko, all of which are set to become a little bit slower. Most of the unrest is actually coming from certain characters getting buffed, the first of which is Braum.
“Humanoids Are Definitely Easier, Let’s Be Real About It”: 2XKO Executive Producer On How They Decided The Game’s Initial Roster
However, no champion is “off the table” when it comes to future roster additions.
While plenty of other characters have been slowed down, it seems as though the same doesn’t apply to Braum. Not only is the bruiser faster, but his command grab hits harder, and his shield special has been improved dramatically. Braum has been buffed to such an extent that you have professionals such as Diaphone declaring him a big winner in the patch, while full-time FGC pro Leffen has said that people that are already good with Braum could become “Thanos“.
Warwick is another character that’s getting buffed who is also spooking the game’s community. He was considered pretty strong before Season 1’s patch, but he will now be getting stability improvements, making his combos more consistent, and some of his strongest tools are also getting stronger. If you’re wondering how scary that makes Warwick, the changes made Diaphone cry out “oh no” when he read them, while Leffen called them “f***ing insane.” You know that you’ve nailed a balance patch when you have people crying out in fear.
There are other points of contention too, such as Vi and Jinx both receiving massive buffs. Jinx is having her kit strengthened substantially, but major system changes to how projectiles work might make them completely pointless and leave her in a worse state. Meanwhile, Vi is in the same camp as Warwick, having been buffed while already being considered strong.
Of course, you can only glean so much from patch notes, and fighting game fans can go overboard a little bit when it comes to balance patches, but as someone who was waiting for the console release to drop before he jumped in, the initial responses are a little bit concerning. I don’t fancy my chances with my Teemo/Jinx team up right about now.
- Released
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October 7, 2025
- ESRB
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Teen / Alcohol Reference, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
