Lux Sparks Joy in Patch 1.3.1

Welcome back to the Weekend Warmup. 

With patch 1.3.1 out, we’re keeping an eye on the meta and the new shape of 2XKO. As a reminder, this patch adds a bunch of content like the Ultimate Bundle, our last major balance adjustments, voice chat in (larger) private lobbies, and new champion Lux! We’ve also removed some features like Ranked lobbies and the Battle Pass to set 2XKO up so it can be played long into the future. 

I got to sit down with the Lux devs this week to talk about building the Lady of Luminosity in 2XKO. As GutsyBat shared a couple of weeks ago, Lux’s development was so smooth, she actually moved up several months from when she was originally intended to launch. This was in part down to us getting better/faster at making champs, but also because the team had a clear vision and ideas that they rallied around from the start. 

Champ development in 2XKO starts with a phase that combines Design, Narrative, and Art (aptly called DNA). “DNA for Lux was super fun and memorable,” Lux’s producer Kooswithak recalls. “It was the first time we tried a joint DNA process where the whole pod huddled together for a few weeks to really go deep on everything the champ could be.”

Concept artist Knight “arucelli” Zhang drew this on her literal first day on 2XKO. The wing headband stuck.

Most champs start off with the designer sketching out a paper kit—a text/video description of each move, what the champ’s game plan is intended to be, and some references on what VFX/SFX/animation should consider when shaping the move list. Lux really got the team’s creativity flowing. “Our collective ideas were able to generate multiple paper kits that we had to think and debate over,” Lux’s designer Riot Shake says. “We were all really inspired by the champ, and there was so much you could do with light. It was super fun thinking through all the different ways we could manifest light in a fighting game while still making it feel true to Lux’s personality.”

Lux once had a black orb move that dropped a refrigerator (jk, this is an early version of Lux’s dS1 - Rainbow Rain).

One other question the team asked during development: how complex should Lux be? Lux is 2XKO’s 16th champ, so players would likely be looking for new mechanics they haven’t seen before, but Lux as a character inherits a sense of beginner-friendliness from her design, narrative, and history in League of Legends. In the end, the team opted to keep her highly beginner-friendly, knowing new players would likely gravitate towards her. For players coming from other fighting games, she’s got some overlap with a shoto-type character, with familiar traits like a fireball and an invincible uppercut. 

As a game, 2X already has a lot of layers to consider, so some of the things we left on the cutting room floor to help focus her kit include:

• A multi-hitting boomerang (similar to her Super Assist) that granted meter.
• Chargeable, armored versions of her S2 wand attacks… some of which could be dash canceled.
• Ways for her to refract light through her S2 Super prism.

Cool in theory, but felt better as a Super Assist. 

Regarding her updated look, the team explored many takes as an evolution from her “canon” state. 2X’s Lux is a little more casual than her other games’ counterparts. For one, she’s older and wiser after departing Demacia, but we still needed to make sure she radiated positivity. “She looks much more like a travelling adventurer than a Crownguard,” Knight “arucelli” Zhang, Lux’s concept artist, quips. “Also, we needed Lux to feel distinctly Demacian as our only representation from that region. I spent many months after finishing her concept laying in bed, fearful that I had put too many wings on her.” 

Earlier concept options for Lux’s costume design, by Knight “arucelli” Zhang.

Altogether, we think Lux can brighten any team comp, and we hope you enjoy digging into what she can do!
 

Community Spotlight

We love seeing everyone’s creativity when it comes to 2XKO’s takes on champs. These artists took a shine to Lux, go give ‘em a follow:

Art by @ondi_puri

Art by @ApricotKnight

Cosplay by @LittleLightBee

Art by @VeigarMyBeloved

Art by @lambbbheart

Art by @lesly_oh

Art by @bluustain

Upcoming Dates

• Oct 3-4: First Attack (2XKO Challenger event)
• Oct 9-11: Evo France (2XKO Major event)
• Late Oct: Patch 1.3.3 live (with Samira)
• Nov 21-22: Battle Coliseum (2XKO Major event)
• Nov 27-29: MINDSET 2026 (2XKO Challenger event)
• (Optional) Early Dec: Patch 1.3.5 (bug fixes only)

Closing Thoughts

Happy patch week! Ultimate Fighting Arena takes place this weekend near Paris, bringing together top players Leffen, Noka, FlashNo47 and more in the first large tournament on the 1.3.1 patch. Check this one out if you want a preview of some of the heavy hitters attending Evo France next month.

In case you missed it, Riot co-founder Marc Merrill did a Q&A session at PAX West where he talks a little about stories from the company’s history, including how 2XKO came to be (starts around 14:25). Worth a look if you’re interested.

Lastly: chip into a Matcherino, support your locals, and go play some fighting games.

—@draggles