Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Who are fighting games actually being designed for?
After the fallout around 2XKO, I wanted to talk about something bigger than one game.
In this discussion I get into why Riot's popularity couldn't automatically create demand for 2XKO, why characters and identity matter, how limited time affects what games people choose, and why "the FGC" is not one single audience.
I also talk about Marvel Tokon, Magneto, Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, Brawlhalla, strong offense vs strong defense, Assemble Counter, runbacks, different forms of competition, and why I created The Tower.
Accessibility can remove barriers. It doesn't create desire.
Characters get you through the door. Gameplay makes you stay.
And not every uncomfortable interaction is a design problem.
The Tower is not meant to replace traditional tournaments. It's another way to compete.
Enter The Tower:
https://www.maxout.pro/e/tower
Subscribe for more fighting game analysis, competition and high-level gameplay.
Chapters
0:00 2XKO & Riot | Did People Want the Game or What Riot Represented?
0:49 Magneto Proved Why Characters Create Desire
4:00 GTA 6, Desire & Why Games Need Their Own Identity
8:54 Players Have Limited Time | Stop Homogenizing Fighting Games
10:31 Don't Change the Core Just to Chase More Players
10:56 Developer Influence, Marvel-Style Design & MK1 Assists
14:22 Who Are Modern Fighting Games Actually Made For?
14:56 Which FGC Are Developers Listening To?
15:33 Visibility Is Not Representation
18:22 Not Every Uncomfortable Interaction Is a Design Problem
20:26 Why Does Defense Always Have to Pay a Resource Cost?
21:23 Fighting Games Are a Conversation and a Tug-of-War
22:06 Winning Neutral Once Shouldn't Mean You Stop Thinking
22:47 One-and-Done, Arcade Roots & FT1
24:43 The Tower | Another Way to Compete
#FGC #FightingGames #2XKO
Who are fighting games actually being designed for?
After the fallout around 2XKO, I wanted to talk about something bigger than one game.
In this discussion I get into why Riot's popularity couldn't automatically create demand for 2XKO, why characters and identity matter, how limited time affects what games people choose, and why "the FGC" is not one single audience.
I also talk about Marvel Tokon, Magneto, Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, Brawlhalla, strong offense vs strong defense, Assemble Counter, runbacks, different forms of competition, and why I created The Tower.
Accessibility can remove barriers. It doesn't create desire.
Characters get you through the door. Gameplay makes you stay.
And not every uncomfortable interaction is a design problem.
The Tower is not meant to replace traditional tournaments. It's another way to compete.
Enter The Tower:
https://www.maxout.pro/e/tower
Subscribe for more fighting game analysis, competition and high-level gameplay.
Chapters
0:00 2XKO & Riot | Did People Want the Game or What Riot Represented?
0:49 Magneto Proved Why Characters Create Desire
4:00 GTA 6, Desire & Why Games Need Their Own Identity
8:54 Players Have Limited Time | Stop Homogenizing Fighting Games
10:31 Don't Change the Core Just to Chase More Players
10:56 Developer Influence, Marvel-Style Design & MK1 Assists
14:22 Who Are Modern Fighting Games Actually Made For?
14:56 Which FGC Are Developers Listening To?
15:33 Visibility Is Not Representation
18:22 Not Every Uncomfortable Interaction Is a Design Problem
20:26 Why Does Defense Always Have to Pay a Resource Cost?
21:23 Fighting Games Are a Conversation and a Tug-of-War
22:06 Winning Neutral Once Shouldn't Mean You Stop Thinking
22:47 One-and-Done, Arcade Roots & FT1
24:43 The Tower | Another Way to Compete
#FGC #FightingGames #2XKO
