2XKO Closed Beta Adds Blitzcrank and Vi and Adjusts Gameplay Balance

Riot Games added various gameplay adjustments after player feedback and alpha testing as well, which cater towards balancing match pacing and more. 

The champion mastery system rewards the following for each champion: 

• A full set of avatar clothing.
  • This can contain 5-7 pieces depending on the champion.
• 4 player titles.
• 4 stickers.
• 1 animated sticker.
• 2 player cards.
• 3 champion taunts.
• 1 Mastery chroma.

Here are the full 2XKO closed beta patch notes, according to Riot Games’ official blog post. The champion adjustments were not included, as they use various symbols that cannot be replicated. The official blog post details the champion adjustments appropriately: 

Match Pacing

• To improve match pacing, we made changes to starting Break meter, starting Super meter, Super damage, and combo starter proration, effectively upping damage across the board.

Offensive vs. Defensive Options

• In Alpha Lab 2, some defensive options didn’t have direct counterplay, and others let the defender get away very easily. In light of that, we took a look at wake up rolls, push assist, retreating guard, and dashing.

Comeback Potential

• The above changes caused higher lethality overall, so comeback potential is more important than ever. We adjusted Fury and Break meter generation to make sure matches are still anybody’s game until the very end.

Match Engagement

• During Alpha Lab 2, we noticed there were certain points in a match where players wouldn’t interact. Whether they were waiting for one of their champions to heal, or trying to build Break or Super meter, this pattern caused a ton of time outs. To encourage getting into the fight, we changed gray health generation and Super meter rules.

Super Meter

• Super meter resets between rounds. By default, teams start each round with one bar of Super meter.
  • If a team is using Juggernaut or Sidekick Fuse, they’ll start each round with two bars of Super meter.
• After a successful parry, damage scaling on the next hit landed is now slightly reduced. (It’ll deal a bit more damage than it did before.)
• Low parry no longer applies damage scaling to the next hit landed.

Break Meter

• Break meter now starts at 75%.
• Break meter bonus while getting hit by long combos has been increased.
• Break meter bonus no longer increases during Handshake Tags or cinematics.
• On champion KO, no longer receive bonus 50% Break meter.

Defense Tools

• Backdashing, jump blocking, Retreating Guard, and pushblock are all slightly less powerful.
  • Pushblock now has a longer cooldown, and the pushback distance has been decreased.
  • Retreating Guard travel distance has been decreased.
• All attacks from Assist champions are now mid attacks. (i.e. Assists can never be low or overhead.)
• Counter hits now grant meter, a damage boost, and additive hit stun.
• Counterhit M and H attacks now grant an untechable state against airborne opponents.
• Counterhit L attacks now grant additional air hit stun.
• Fury Break has been buffed. Duration, chip damage from normal and special attacks, ground speed, and defense boosts have all been increased.
• Crossup protection has been reduced from three frames to one frame.
• Getup attack is now easier to punish from air block.

Additional Changes

• Gray health (champion health that can regenerate while tagged out) recovers more slowly.
• Attacks generate less gray health overall.
• Super damage and minimum scaling (the floor for how much an attack can deal after being reduced by damage scaling) has been increased.
• L and M attack proration (damage reduction on hitting the same move repeatedly within one combo) has been reduced.
• When Assist champions take damage, 75% is dealt as gray health. The rest is unrecoverable. (Previously, 100% of damage to Assist champions was dealt as gray health.)
• Throws deal more damage, have a longer recovery time, and cause a counter hit state on whiff.
• Throwable volumes are more consistent.
• Throws now have new visual effects to show the tech window more clearly.
• Forward and air throws now cause hard knockdown. Grounded recovery rolls can now be thrown.
• Limit Strike no longer causes hard knockdown.
• Air throw landing recovery has been reduced.
• Air throws are now consistent across champions and hit slightly behind.
• You can no longer Handshake Tag when a throw doesn’t connect with an opponent.
• Chain-dashing is easier.
• Backdash travel distances have been reduced for all champions.
• Jump startup has been slowed from three to four frames
• Timing restriction on Double Down has been removed. (You can now enter Double Down at any time during the point champion’s Super.)
• Juggernaut Fuse has been buffed.
  • While using Juggernaut, gain more Break meter on a clean hit. Pushblock now costs Break meter instead of Super meter, and pushblocking pushes both champions.
  • On a clean Eject hit, the Juggernaut player will recover a small amount of gray health. The Ejected opponent will lose a large amount of their gray health.

Quality of Life

• When landing an attack, pressing (L+M Dash, L+H parry, etc.) will now properly result in a Parry or Dash, rather than another attack.
• You can now enter Training mode directly from any online lobby by opening the menu. This also works when in a duo. Doing this will remove you from the lobby you were in.
• When queue times are long, our matchmaking system will look for opponents from other lobbies. If you find a match this way, you’ll see a hologram of your opponent’s avatar in your lobby.
• You can now enter the Casual or Ranked lobby directly from Training mode by opening the menu. This also works when in a duo.
  • Known bug: if you enter Training mode from the main menu and choose “Go to Casual Lobby” or “Go to Ranked Lobby” from the Training mode menu, you’ll return to the main menu. These options only work if you use them in a Casual or Ranked lobby.
• The controls menu has been completely revamped. Remapping controls should take less time across any compatible peripheral.
• In-game player reporting is now enabled. It can be accessed from the Avatar Interaction menu in lobbies, Match History, the Social panel, and chat messages.
• In-game player blocking is now enabled. It can be accessed from the Avatar Interaction menu and Match History.

Players who are lucky enough to receive a beta key will be able to invite up to three of their friends to try out the game. Those who have been invited to the Alpha Lab 1 or 2 are automatically invited to the closed beta.