2XKO has officially been released in early access, and it is already establishing itself as a fun tag team fighter, even if it is lacking a little bit when it comes to certain features. 2XKO ranks see players can make their way through a competitive ranking system in the fighting game to prove their skills.

We’re going to be looking at the current 2XKO ranking system to see what the exact ranks and tiers are and how it works. Keep in mind that the game is still in early access, so this system could change further down the line. 

Similar to VALORANT ranks and LoL ranks, 2XKO has a series of ranks that are separated into tiers. The 2XKO ranks are as follows:

There is also a Challenger rank, though this is particularly exclusive. To obtain the Challenger rank, you have to be within the top 500 2XKO players in the Grandmaster rank, but you also have to be in the top 100 players on the ranked leaderboard in general. 

Within the 2XKO ranks of Aspirant through to Master, there are three tiers, those being I, II, and III. Tier I is the highest within each rank, while Tier III is the lowest. For instance, let’s consider a player who has been put into Aspirant rank III. 

As they play 2KXO games and level up, they will eventually get to Aspirant II, then Aspirant I. Once you rank up after Aspirant I, they will then ascend to Bronze and start the process again at Bronze III. The only tiers that do not abide by this structure are the Grandmaster and Challenger ranks. Due to how high these ranks are, they do not have tiers.

Before we get into how the ranking system in 2XKO works, let’s first look at how to get your first rank. This needs to be done before you can start your journey up the ranks of competitive 2XKO. To obtain a rank, players have to first make their way through five placement matches. Once these placements are complete, you’ll be given a rank and have access to a lobby with others who are also within that rank. 

The 2XKO ranked system works via the aforementioned tier-based progression. To make your way through the tiers and ranks, you’ll need to collect Riot Points, also known as RP. RP is earned by winning ranked matches. Players need to earn 100 RP within a rank to level up to the next tier.

To rank up as fast as possible in 2XKO, you’ll need to minimise your losses and maximise your RP by winning as many games as you can. Sounds simple enough, but this can definitely be a challenge, especially for those who are new to fighting games or who haven’t played on a competitive level. 

One of the first things to do is to look through the 2XKO characters roster and choose who you want to put the time and effort into getting good with. The current roster is as follows: 

Not all of the 2XKO roster is playable by default. Blitzcrank, Jinx, Teemo, Vi, and Warwick are initially locked, so you’ll need to unlock them with Champion Tokens, Credits (or KO Points), if you want any of these heroes to be your main fighter. 

Once you have chosen your fighter, learn their moves and skill set, and find out who works best for you. For instance, Ahri has great mobility in the air and excellent precision, but her health is currently the lowest in the game. She works well for players who prefer quick and agile tactics, but also those who can dodge and block with ease. 

Although solo fights are possible, duo fighters are one of the main features of 2XKO, so you’ll also need to think about which characters pair well with others and which pairings you feel most comfortable with. 

If you’re serious about ranking up, you’ll need to invest time into practising, although this can still be done quickly if you’re determined. Winning streaks aren’t always the be-all end-all. Consistency and strong combos are key to making your way through the competitive ranks, so be patient and hone your skills, and you’re sure to see an improvement in your rank in no time. 

The 2XKO rank system is quite forgiving when it comes to demotion and rank decay. The game gives players a chance to make a comeback once their RP amount is enough to drop them below zero. Rather than demoting players straight away, the score will stay at zero within the current tier, allowing players to try one more time to get back on track. Players will only drop to the tier below if they lose another match after this. 

While dropping through the 2XKO tiers is possible, dropping ranks is not, which is a refreshing feature. For instance, if a player is in Silver III and has a run of consecutive losses, they will not be demoted to Bronze I and will instead stay in their current rank.

When it comes to rank decay, there hasn’t been any confirmation whether Riot Games will implement a decay system or penalties for inactivity during the early access period. However, there is a chance that this could happen in the future, especially for higher-ranking players. 

Riot Games does have a decay system in place for League of Legends, but not for Valorant, so it’s unclear whether this will be implemented for 2XKO as of yet. The game is currently in early access, so we will likely get a clearer picture of the decay system – if there is one – later down the line. 

That’s currently all there is to know about the ranking system in 2XKO. As mentioned, the game is still in early access, so things might change later. For now, though, the ranked system in 2XKO is relatively simple to manoeuvre and works similarly to the systems implemented in other Riot Games titles, such as League of Legends. 

Nordic cryptocurrency exchange Safello has confirmed its sponsorship of Counter-Strike 2 event, the Swedish Cup (Svenska Cupen), this November.

This partnership marks the firm’s official entry into the esports industry. According to an official press release, the sponsorship is designed to engage with the tournament’s live audience. 

Traditionally focused on serving retail and institutional investors, Safello is now targeting a tech-savvy, mobile-first audience to boost brand awareness and drive app engagement.

Launched in 2022, the Swedish Cup is reported to be Sweden’s largest national CS2 esports tournament. The Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) competition will conclude with a live-streamed, offline finals weekend in Stockholm in mid-November 2025. The event features a grand prize pool of SEK 300,000 (~£23,975).

Emelie Moritz, CEO of Safello, commented: “Joining as a sponsor to the Swedish Cup is really exciting for us.

“The esports audience is tech-savvy and digitally oriented, and those are values that drive the crypto market forward. We look forward to being visible in the Swedish Cup channels and introducing our brand and services to a new target group.”

Safello’s sponsorship of the Swedish Cup comes just days after announcing an exclusive partnership with the event’s organiser, Fragbite Group.

Fragbite, one of Sweden’s leading gaming and esports companies, recently named Safello its Preferred Partner for Bitcoin (BTC) and crypto trading services after establishing its BTC treasury back in July.

The company’s treasury currently holds approximately 19.75 BTC. Its stated objective is to expand these holdings to 100 BTC by the end of the year. 

This corporate move toward digital assets is part of a broader trend. In recent weeks, a growing number of firms have integrated cryptocurrency into their treasury management strategies. 

For instance, the Nasdaq-listed entity Allied Gaming & Entertainment announced an initial investment in Bitcoin in September. In the same vein, NIP Group has adopted Bitcoin mining as an alternative method for accumulating BTC assets for its reserves.

T1 and Bilibili Gaming (BLG) have survived another day at the 2025 League of Legends World Championship by winning do-or-die matches against Vivo Keyd Stars and 100 Thieves, respectively.

As a result, Vivo Keyd Stars and 100 Thieves have been eliminated from the competition, despite valiant efforts from both sides. T1 and BLG now need one more best-of-three victory to qualify for the Worlds 2025 Knockout Stage.

The main event of today’s games was undoubtedly the second match of the day. The series held a different kind of meaning as it could have been the final appearance of historic North American organisation 100 Thieves in League of Legends esports.

The match against the most decorated team in League of Legends history and reigning world champions — T1 — made the moment even heavier.

Both T1 and 100 Thieves were 1-2 in the Swiss Stage, so both teams showed signs of weakness. Even if many expected the LCK team to walk away with a quick win, the match was much closer than anyone could have predicted.

The first game showcased 100 Thieves’ proactivity. While T1 made the first move, the LTA representatives struck right back with early kills and active plays across the map. The game seemed balanced, with constant trades in kills and objectives between the two teams. But by the 20th minute, the LCK team found better objective setups, stable macro choices, and teamfights that led T1 to lead the series 1-0.

With its back against the wall, 100 Thieves played out slowly at the beginning of game two. The LTA representatives picked up the first two kills on the board, but, as the T1 focused on dragons and towers, 100 Thieves’ lead was not as wide as fans hoped for — even despite flashy plays which gave 100 Thieves advantages on the map.

T1 kept pushing the map forward in a calm and methodical way, and in classic T1 fashion, the team stayed focused on its main targets during teamsights while 100 Thieves often spread out.

Fight after fight, 100 Thieves could not get a solid grip on the game, even despite some going in the organisation’s favour. Once T1 secured Baron it held the map firmly and needed only one last push to end the series 2-0.

This result marked the end of 100 Thieves’ final appearance at Worlds and on the competitive League of Legends scene.

Expectations were that the LPL representatives would handle the LTA South team without much trouble.

However, the first game began very differently as BLG failed an early top lane dive and gave Vivo Keyd Stars two kills. Vivo Keyd Stars then used that early lead to secure all three Voidgrubs and maintain control of the early game.

Despite the advantage being with the Brazilian team, a risky bot lane dive gave Bilibili Gaming an opening. That decision allowed the LPL team to stabilise and apply a steady macro pressure across the Rift.

Bilibili Gaming moved well through the river and jungle, which helped it take the first dragon and then the Herald while winning small skirmishes. BLG pushed for towers and steadily expanded its lead.

Vivo Keyd Stars found some picks, but the team could not stop BLG from gaining vision control and preparing for a fight around the Baron. Once Bilibili Gaming claimed Baron, the LPL team broke open its opponent’s base and closed game one with a clear lead.

Despite the strong end to the first game, the following game presented challenges for the LPL representatives.

Bilibili Gaming built an early advantage and controlled the pace of play. However, Vivo Keyd Stars did not step back and created several strong fights in the mid and late game. Notably, jungler Jeong ‘Mireu’ Jo-bin earned a triple kill during a chaotic fight, which gave Vivo Keyd Stars a real chance to push back and threaten BLG’s base.

Yet BLG’s top laner, Chen ‘Bin‘ Ze-Bin, saw the opportunity for a backdoor on Vivo Keyd Stars‘ Nexus and used that chance to finish the series after more than 40 minutes of play. The result confirmed a 2-0 victory for the LPL team.

Vivo Keyd Stars are now eliminated from Worlds 2025. Meanwhile, BLG move forward to the final elimination match. However, its performance leaves questions about its ability to qualify for the Knockout Stage.

Following the conclusion of round four, only three more teams will qualify for the Worlds 2025 Knockout Stage.

All matches will be played on October 25th, 2025 with the first BO3 series starting at 6AM BST. All matches will be streamed live on League of Legends’ official esports Twitch and YouTube channels, alongside accepted co-streamers.

The 2-2 matches are as follows:

Sportsbook solutions provider BETBY has advanced its esports betting offering by increasing player props coverage across some of the most popular esports. This includes the likes of League of Legends, Valorant, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike 2.

With the expansion of pre-match and live betting options, the update aims to give bettors more thorough ways to track and wager on individual player performances during competitive events.

New markets have been added in the recent update, including total kills for all four featured games, total headshots for Counter-Strike 2, and most kills for League of Legends, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike 2.

BETBY’s expanded offerings now let operator partners provide deeper engagement for users, with real-time betting on a range of performance metrics and outcomes.

“Esports audiences are incredibly engaged and data-savvy, they follow players and statistics as closely as the matches themselves,” commented Kirill Nekrasov, Head of Sportsbook Product at BETBY.

This enhancement expands on BETBY’s already-existing MVP betting for major tournaments and Head-to-Head markets for some titles.

BETBY has solidified its position as a top B2B content provider by winning six industry awards in the last 12 months for its contributions to esports betting. This includes esports Supplier of the Year at SBC Summit Lisbon 2025.

BETBY’s enhanced player props will be rolled out across partner betting platforms, broadening sportsbook engagement options for esports fans globally.

OverActive Media has rebranded its Call of Duty League (CDL) franchise from Toronto Ultra to Toronto KOI.

The move is part of the esports company’s aim to align its portfolio under a singular platform.

The rebrand to Toronto KOI aligns the franchise with OverActive Media’s Movistar KOI and KOI esports team that currently competes across League of Legends and other games.

As a result of Toronto’s rebrand, the 2026 CDL season marks the first time none of the original franchise names from the inaugural season will be present.

“To be KOI is to belong,” said Adam Adamou, CEO of OverActive Media. “Bringing this illustrious brand to the Call of Duty League and to Toronto will benefit everyone, our fans, our players, our partners, and the broader esports ecosystem.

“We’re building a single, unified brand platform that scales across regions and delivers lasting value for all.”

To celebrate the rebrand, the franchise hosted a launch party on October 23rd, 2025, unveiling its 2026 jersey that its roster will wear during the upcoming season.

Additionally, OverActive Media announced that Toronto KOI will launch its first merchandise collection in December.

Toronto KOI becomes the third CDL franchise to embark on a rebrand ahead of the Black Ops 7 season. In September, Team Falcons relocated from Las Vegas to Riyadh, while October saw G2 Esports rebrand from Minnesota Rokkr to G2 Minnesota.

Elsewhere, Gentle Mates is continuing to tease a relocation after removing Los Angeles from its social media channels. The franchise has yet to reveal its location for the 2026 season.

With none of the original names from the inaugural CDL season appearing in 2026, the upcoming season marks a new chapter for the franchise league, which continues to show signs of growth heading into its sixth season.

The Super Smash Bros. Ultimate community is welcoming back Gavin ‘Tweek’ Dempsey after a long hiatus from the competitive scene.

Tweek has confirmed that he’ll be competing at Port Priority 9, which will bring the best Smash players in the world to Seattle, Washington from November 8th to the 9th. And that won’t be the last time you see him compete.

On the most recent episode of Tweek’s podcast, Tweek Talks, the prominent Ultimate player announced that he would compete once more. The Smash community has responded with excitement over the news, with many missing his incredible Diddy Kong play. Multiple fans even admitted they had stopped watching tournaments once he left the scene.

Port Priority will have stiff competition for Tweek, making it an intense return. However, he said he feels ready.

“I’ve been practicing a lot, trying new things, taking a lot of notes,” Tweek told his co-hosts. “I’ve always been really, really strict with how I treat Smash and the things I do to get better.

“I basically never stopped. It’s weird ’cause it’s just what I do and who I am. Whether I was going to a tournament or not, I intended to lab stuff and play every day. I was still doing all my routine things, like working out and meditating. I never stopped.”

Tweek said he also has intense goals, along with his intense practicing. He joked that they may even be ‘psycho.’ For him, it’s not about winning Port Priority. It’s about winning his way, whatever that particular way may be.

Tweek said that he’s going into Port Priority with a very set in stone strategy. In the past, he may have flip-flopped based on what his opponents were doing or who they were playing, but Tweek said this time he wants to stick to what he believes in the whole time.

Will he randomly pull out a Sephiroth for a Snake matchup?

“No, no,” he said adamantly. “I’m sticking it out with Diddy Kong. I have a bunch of notes I’ve been writing down, especially for a bunch of hard stuff. These days, a lot of matchups are hard stuff.”

But even when things get hard, Tweek doesn’t worry. He admitted that he goes in with the mentality that he’s already the best. That’s also the advice he gives to Smash players he coaches: just believe in yourself from the start. It’s a ‘waste of time’ to go through that process of reaching a certain goal in order to feel you’ve achieved something.

“You should already think highly of yourself,” Tweek said. “You don’t have to become a different person or change. You’re already fully capable of doing what you want to do.”

Even though Tweek fully intended to quit Smash for good, he clearly couldn’t stay away. His fans believe he’s just the kinda guy to have that competitive itch. Tweek himself didn’t want to explain what brought him back just yet. However, he feels Port Priority is the best tournament for his return.

“I don’t know what I’m doing after Port Priority. But this isn’t one last tournament. I’m actually like playing again, straight up. This just happens to be my first tournament back,” Tweek clarified.

The Halo World Championship 2025 is Halo Infinite‘s final esports event before the Halo Championship Series (HCS) retires the first-person shooter title.

Taking place from October 24th to 26th, 16 teams from the Americas, Europe, and Australia will compete for a share of a $1m (~£749,900) prize pool and a chance to be crowned Halo Infinite’s last world champion.

With several established organisations fielding rosters, Esports Insider takes a closer look at the Halo World Championship 2025 contenders and potential dark horses.

Heading into the World Championship as the most recent HCS Major winners, Shopify Rebellion has put itself in the perfect position to end the Halo Infinite era on a high.

A win in Seattle, Washington, will cement three-time world champion Matthew ‘Royal2‘ Fiorante as one of the very best console esports players of all time, adding another accolade to an extensive trophy cabinet.

Victory at this year’s World Championship would also see Bradley ‘Frosty‘ Bergstrom become a four-time world champion, cementing Shopify Rebellion’s place among the best Halo teams in history.

Another North American powerhouse on the verge of Halo greatness is OpTic Gaming, a team that has narrowly missed out on conquering Shopify Rebellion in Major tournaments.

Before the World Championship, the Green Wall and the 15 other teams competed in the third edition of the HaloWC Warmup. OpTic emerged victorious after defeating Shopify Rebellion in the Grand Final, laying the foundations for a deep run.

Every member of OpTic Gaming has a world title under their belt and knows what it takes to reach the pinnacle of Halo esports. Having been closely matched to other teams, the Green Wall could stand tall once again.

Following the departures of Quadrant and Team Nemesis, European Halo continues to feature at the biggest international events.

Luminon EU acquired the former Team Nemesis roster in September and is the region’s sole representative at this year’s tournament.

Following a top-eight finish at the Halo World Championship 2024, it will be interesting to see if the Europeans can spring a surprise against the established American sides.

ZETA Division’s Street Fighter player Kakeru ‘Kakeru‘ Watanabe has announced his retirement from competitive play.

The Capcom Cup 11 champion has cited a “neural dysfunction” behind the decision to stop competing.

Announced on social media, Kakeru’s decision to retire comes after two months of inactivity. In September, the player was due to compete as part of ZETA Division’s roster for the Street Fighter League Pro-JP 2025.

“The team and I have carefully discussed the possibilities for continuing my activities in the future, but I judged that it would be difficult to continue as a player,” said Kareku.

“I will leave ZETA Division by the end of the year and will focus on recovering my health going forward.”

Kakeru began competing in Street Fighter esports in 2021, competing across several high-profile events.

After winning Capcom Cup 11 in March, Kakeru cemented his place as one of Japan’s best Street Fighter players with a second-place finish at Evo 2025.

Since entering Street Fighter in 2024, ZETA Division has nine players competing in various tournaments.

The organisation currently sits in fourth place in the Street Fighter League Pro-JP 2025 regular season. 12 teams from across Japan are competing in the regular season, with the top three teams from each division securing qualification to the playoffs.

The winner of the league earns direct qualification to the SFL World Championship 2025 and the lion’s share of a ¥15m (~£73,725) prize pool.

As a result of Kakeru’s retirement, ZETA Division has recruited ‘Yamaguchi‘ to its SFL roster. The player has continued to climb through the ranks, scoring a top 12 finish at Evo France 2025.

Kakeru departs Street Fighter esports as one of the title’s most successful players, winning $1.4m (~£1.05m) over the course of his career. Esports Insider wishes him well in his recovery.