Leaks are part and parcel of [[link]] a videogame's development at this point. Do I agree with that? Of course not, but you'd be hard pressed to find a big game that hasn't sprung a little leak here and there at some point. Sometimes it's dataminers getting their hands on a beta, or in more unfortunate cases [[link]] (like GTA 6), it's a big ol' hack job.

Sometimes, though, the call comes from inside the house. That's exactly what happened in the case of 2XKO—Riot's upcoming League of Legends tag fighter—when an unannounced character showed up on the developer's goddamn support page of all places.

Could be fake but the art style is so distinctive 2xko that I fell for it. from r/2XKO

Big robot lad Blitzcrank was spotted as the featured mascot for the 2XKO support on Riot's site earlier this week, with the art style most definitely fitting in with the game.

Speculation started to whip up soon after, and the support site graphic was quickly swapped out for one of Jinx instead. The damage was already done, though, and 2XKO Editor-in-Chief Ben Forbes retweeted this 2022 post from the Street Fighter 6 account: "As residents of Metro City, we've all seen things we weren't supposed to see, but we're all in this together. We appreciate all the positive reactions. Thank you for the support!"

That statement came after the entire roster for Street Fighter 6 was leaked, making it pretty clear at this point that Blitzcrank's appearance was an accident. Soon after, the 2XKO account essentially threw its hands up [[link]] and said "oopsie!" when it posted: "commencing accidental leak protocol," adding: "Blitzcrank is 2XKO's ninth champion, available in closed beta. Full reveal Sept 2".

I gotta say, I appreciate Riot coming out and saying it. I suppose there wasn't exactly much to lose—it's only one fighter, it was the developer's own fault, and there was little point in hiding it at that point. Considering Blitzcrank is going to be part of the launch roster anyway, it seems the secret spilt only a few days early, too.

I'm not much of a League player, but I do love a fighting game, and I'm excited to learn more about Blitzcrank. I don't usually gravitate towards big bodies in fighters, but I do enjoy seeing what they can do, and with a bunch of players hoping that he's a grappler, I'm eagerly anticipating Riot's deep dive into his kit.