2XKO Shows Off Akali Gameplay Ahead of April 7 Release

Akali is less than a week away from release, so it's about time to learn what the character is all about. 

Riot's latest video on the official 2XKO channel does exactly that, with a brief overview of what the character is capable of, you can check it out below.

To summarize, Akali is exactly the type of ninja that you'd expect her to be, and Guilty Gear players will likely notice a slight overlap with Chipp here. Even outside of kit similarities, much like him she's the fastest but also the squishiest character in the game, who lives or dies on the sheer offense and mobility.

Part of this comes through in her unique options, an ability to double jump or do a Chun-Li style walljump (as in, it's not from wall cling).

Now, brief rundown of her specials:

• df.S2/d.S2 - Akali's teleport. The df version moves her a set distance and can cross-up in the corner, while d will simply send her straight down.
• S1 - Her S1 buttons are focused on kunai. Starting with the most basic option, you have a mid-range horizontal lunge. If it hits the opponent, you can press S1 again to lunge in the opposite direction and hit them again.
• d.S1/j.S1 [Hold OK] - Akali jumps back a bit and throw a downward diagonal kunai.
• S2 [Hold OK] - S2 are instead themed on her Kama attacks. Pressing S2 will have her unleash slashes in front of her, and if it hits, she will summon Twilight Shroud, a cloud of smoke surrounding the stage. Holding it will instead summon the Twilight Shroud right away.
• S1 Super [Air OK] - Akali jumps into the air and throws a giant shuriken at a downward angle which also summons Twilight Shroud.
• S2 Super - Command grab that can serve as a combo ender or a wake-up reversal.
• Ultimate - Akali dashes forward with a smoke bomb, dealing massive damage if it connects.

You might have noticed the "Twilight Shroud" mechanic. When Akali has smokescreen on the stage, her special moves get buffed and gain new properties. Like gaining a backswing on S1 or a ground bounce on S2 hit. It also enables teleports to cancel into each other for even filthier mixups.