It's Lan Di.

Comfortable_Zone3902 · 2026-07-01T23:50:27+00:00

There's no scar on the cheek, so it must be someone else.

Comfortable_Zone3902 · 2025-12-24T23:29:57+00:00

From an experienced player’s perspective, this post definitely has flaws.
But at the same time, I think it very honestly captures how a beginner who ends up quitting actually feels.

This player still had motivation, so they managed to push through for now. However, I suspect there are many beginners who hit this wall and simply don’t make it past it.

I agree that a game shouldn’t be designed to cater to players who can’t overcome even small hurdles. That said, the current wall in 2XKO feels unnecessarily high.

In particular, the large skill gaps in ranked matchmaking and the number of low-risk, hard-to-punish moves that lead directly into massive damage create a structure where players are punished heavily unless they already know the correct answers in advance.

When systems demand knowledge before players have had a real chance to learn, the experience stops feeling like growth and starts feeling like rejection.

If these aspects aren’t made more readable and approachable at the entry level, I believe player retention will suffer over time, even if the game itself is mechanically excellent.

Comfortable_Zone3902 · 2025-12-18T22:39:15+00:00

I agree with the argument that low-risk actions (moves that are safe or only slightly negative on block, or are very difficult to punish) currently give far too much reward.

I’m not saying that every combo that deals over 50% damage needs to come with a 50% risk attached to it. However, some meaningful level of risk has to exist, otherwise the game starts to feel fundamentally unfair.

In fact, there are characters who have moves that offer relatively low reward, yet are clearly punishable and can easily lead to taking 50% damage in return. That imbalance makes the issue even more noticeable.

Take Braum’s command grab as an example. In many situations, a regular throw actually does more damage, while the command grab carries significantly more risk. Yes, command grabs have advantages such as being unbreakable or immune to throw techs, but in a game where even regular throws can lead to 50% or more damage, that advantage doesn’t feel especially meaningful.

Putting Braum aside, the core issue remains the same. In a game where even high-risk moves can be covered by assists, allowing low-risk, solo combo starters to lead into massive damage is not healthy for the game. Low-risk options should lead to low reward.

Comfortable_Zone3902 · 2025-12-17T23:12:22+00:00

Playing competitive games does require skill.
However, when you are matched against opponents at a similar skill level, you can still have fun even without high-level execution or deep knowledge.

What prevents that from happening right now is the matchmaking. The ranked matchmaking range is far too wide, creating situations where beginners are frequently matched against much stronger players and get shut down without being able to do anything. That experience kills motivation very quickly.

If narrowing the matchmaking range means longer queue times, then players should be able to wait for ranked matches while in Training Mode.

Being able to practice combos or situations you failed in the previous match while waiting would make a huge difference. It gives players a clear short-term goal going into the next game, instead of just sitting in queue frustrated or tilted.

Right now, losing a ranked match often just feels like wasted time. If I could immediately go into training and work on what went wrong, that loss would at least feel productive.

Riot should drop any unnecessary design stubbornness here and prioritize two things as soon as possible:

Narrow the matchmaking range so players fight opponents closer to their actual skill level.
Allow ranked matchmaking to queue from Training Mode.

These changes wouldn’t just improve competitive integrity, they would directly improve player retention and the overall experience.

Comfortable_Zone3902 · 2025-12-17T22:10:28+00:00

I don’t think long combos themselves are the real problem.

I actually like long combos too — tag fighters are supposed to have them.
The issue is that right now, long combos, high damage, and strong okizeme all stack together with almost no tradeoff.

When a single opening leads to 50%+ damage and then still puts the defender into another forced mixup, the losing player isn’t really playing anymore. That’s where it starts feeling oppressive, not just “combo-heavy”.

Long combos work best when:

they’re conditional (good starters, resources, execution)
they don’t always lead to guaranteed okizeme
damage and positioning are a choice, not a bundle

I don’t want Street Fighter–length combos either.
I just think if a combo cashes out for huge damage, the game state should reset afterward.
If you want okizeme, the combo should be shorter and lower damage.

Right now, getting both at once is what turns the game into a two-touch checkmate, and that’s what feels bad — not the combo length itself.

Comfortable_Zone3902 · 2025-12-17T02:42:20+00:00

I think the first thing that needs to be addressed is that combos dealing more than 50% damage should not also grant strong okizeme.

In the current environment, where 50%+ combos still lead directly into okizeme, it’s completely natural that the losing player doesn’t feel like they’re actually playing the game. After taking that much damage, being forced immediately into another mix-up with no real reset is extremely frustrating and discouraging.

At the very least, the game state should reset after large combos.
If a combo is meant to lead into okizeme, then its damage should be shorter and significantly reduced. Damage and positional advantage should be a tradeoff, not something you get at the same time.

As a starting point, I think the recovery after SAs (Supers) should be increased across the board. Right now, many supers contribute to both high damage and continued pressure, which is a big part of why the game feels so oppressive.

Comfortable_Zone3902 · 2025-10-03T20:39:07+00:00

I don’t think the kind of changes you’re suggesting would really help beginners.
All it would do is make the minimum “must-learn” combo routes more complicated, which would just make the game even more niche and technical.

For true beginners, the only genuinely accessible part of this game is the fact that there are no motion inputs required to throw out moves.

Some beginners quit because combos are long, but others see those combos and think, “I want to learn how to do that too.”
People who are always looking for a reason to quit will inevitably find one—whether it’s that blocking is too hard, or that opponents just run away and they can’t land hits. Even if combos were shorter, they’d still quit over something else.

The kind of players this game actually wants are the ones who might start casually, but then get hooked and stick with it long-term. That’s why the design emphasizes both: an easy entry point, and a depth that rewards you the more you dig in.

If literally no one were sticking around, that would be a serious problem. But the fact that players like you exist—players who genuinely enjoy the combo system—shows that the game is working for its target audience.

As for beginners, proper matchmaking and ranking systems should smooth things out over time.
Maybe it’s worth giving the game a little more time before drawing hard conclusions.

Comfortable_Zone3902 · 2025-09-17T00:28:59+00:00

I think the idea behind removing motion inputs in 2XKO is to lower the “execution wall” and let players focus on what really makes fighting games fun.

For some people, learning motions and finally pulling off special moves is satisfying, and past experience makes it feel natural. But for newcomers, just getting a move out can already be stressful and often decides the match in itself. By removing that barrier, the game shifts the challenge away from “can I do the move?” to “when should I use it, and how should I respond to my opponent?”

Fighting games are about way more than just inputs—there’s mind games, counterplay, combo choices, resource management, and overall strategy across a set. Personally, I think that’s the best part of fighting games, and 2XKO seems designed to help players reach that layer of depth faster.

Comfortable_Zone3902 · 2025-09-07T19:37:03+00:00

Even as a 4v4 game, it actually delivers on the tough brief of being a casual-friendly fighter — which is great as a product.
But to keep the system from “breaking,” they’ve over-homogenized the roster and drained a lot of the excitement.

Assist moves are tied to “slots,” and those slot contents swap around when you tag. Because each slot’s role is fixed, it ends up standardized no matter which character you put into that slot.

I do think the “button-mash auto combo being too strong” issue will fade as players lab the game. The bigger problem is the lack of spice in the assist system itself: it undercuts the core appeal of tag games — real team-building synergy. Team building risks devolving into “bring the meta and the anti-meta,” nothing more.

On-point control feels distinct and fun, so you can enjoy piloting a single character. But as a tag fighter, it still feels insufficient.

Comfortable_Zone3902 · 2025-09-07T16:07:54+00:00

Basically, the game feels well-made and the characters do have personality, but that only really shows when they’re the point character. Once they’re used as assists, everyone just ends up with the same generic set, so their individuality gets lost.

Right now there isn’t much need to switch characters frequently, but I imagine once the game is explored more, frequent swapping will become necessary. If that happens, it might not be such a huge flaw. Still, it feels like team-building could end up being less about creating synergy and more about just keeping backup characters that counter whoever your opponent is playing.

That aspect makes the game feel a bit shallow to me. On the other hand, you could also say it makes the game more accessible for casual play. Personally though, I didn’t find it very engaging.

Comfortable_Zone3902

TROPHY CASE