2XKO, the latest title from League of Legends developer Riot Games, is reportedly experiencing consistent screen tearing on consoles. The issue has already sparked widespread online complaints and even one band-aid fix, with many vocal 2XKO players saying they're dropping the game until it is fixed.
Screen tearing is a common visual defect in video games, caused by a display showing parts of multiple frames at once, resulting in a visible horizontal split across the screen. To players, the effect can appear as if the top and bottom halves of the image are occasionally misaligned, with tears being especially likely to appear during rapid camera movement. Fundamentally, the issue occurs when a new frame is presented while the display is in the middle of scanning out the previous one, causing the screen to contain parts of multiple frames at once. It’s especially common when the game’s frame rate doesn’t align cleanly with the display’s refresh cycle (often when running faster than the refresh rate with V-Sync disabled), but it can occur at any frame rate if frames are presented mid-scan. Games often generate frames at inconsistent rates, increasing the likelihood of synchronization issues that lead to screen tearing.
All 2XKO Characters (& How to Unlock Them)
Here’s how to unlock all fighters in Riot Games’ 2XKO, along with a quick look at each champion’s attacks and playstyle.
2XKO Has Serious Screen Tearing Issues
Riot's free-to-play tag-team fighting game appears to be the latest example of the prevalence of screen tearing. Shortly after 2XKO was released on January 20, players started reporting encountering frequent horizontal tearing, especially on displays with high refresh rates. Several community threads suggest the issue is most prevalent on 120Hz screens, but it is not exclusive to them.
2XKO Screen Tearing Can Reportedly Be Mitigated on Xbox, With Some Limitations
According to a recent report by Reddit user Neoak, it is currently possible to mitigate screen tearing in the console version of 2XKO, though only when playing on Xbox, whereas PS5 owners are out of luck. The user claims that enabling the console’s system-level 120Hz output and variable refresh rate (VRR) support through display settings can significantly reduce visible tearing. This approach requires a VRR-compatible monitor or display. It works by leveraging Xbox’s handling of high-refresh-rate output at the system level, even in games that do not explicitly advertise 120Hz compatibility, thereby shortening frame display times and masking synchronization issues that often cause screen tearing in the first place.
However, Neoak’s method is not a guaranteed fix. It depends on compatible hardware, may involve display bandwidth trade-offs, and does not necessarily eliminate tearing entirely. Additionally, since 2XKO reportedly launched without vertical synchronization (V-Sync) to reduce input latency, the underlying issue persists at the software level. A proper solution will likely require an official patch from Riot, which players are hoping will arrive while the 2XKO Season 1 is still fresh, since many are now holding off on playing the game until its screen tearing issues are fully addressed.
Riot Has Yet To Officially Acknowledge 2XKO Screen Tearing
Riot Games hasn't yet formally acknowledged the 2XKO screen tearing reports in any capacity. The developer did take the ranked mode offline over the January 24–25 weekend, citing a need to work on addressing multiple "game-impacting bugs." It remains to be seen whether screen tearing is among them. While casual lobbies were supposed to stay open during the maintenance period, social media reports from players suggest that hasn't been the case, at least not consistently. This has hindered progress in 2XKO's ongoing Caitlyn Champion Recruitment Event, though players can still earn XP by completing the game's tutorial missions.
OpenCritic Reviews
- Released
- October 7, 2025
- ESRB
- Teen / Alcohol Reference, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Riot Games
- Publisher(s)
- Riot Games
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
