Topping 2023 is going to be difficult for fighting games, given the year saw the release of new entries in some of the most celebrated franchises ever such as Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, alongside a few other titles that gave players plenty of opportunities to beat up other player and prove their mettle virtually.
2024, however, is looking to be a great year right from the start, with the release of yet another new entry in a beloved series and the return of a franchise that no one expected would ever do.
Without further ado, these are our most anticipated fighting games releasing in 2024. Games that are very unlikely to be released this year, such as Riot’s Project L, haven’t been mentioned, but if they do make it, they will only make 2024 as good a year for the genre as 2023 was.
Previously in Wccftech’s most anticipated games of 2024: Action, RPG, Horror
Tekken 8 (January 26th – PC/PS5/XSS|X)
The Tekken series needs no introduction. It was among the first fighting franchises to adopt 3D visuals and gameplay, and it still manages to set trends nowadays with its mechanics and character design.
Tekken 8 will continue the series’ tradition of fast-paced, intense gameplay with some tweaks to its usual formula that are expected to bring the experience to the next level, such as new comeback mechanics, recoverable health, and the Rage and Heat systems that provide new aggressive ways to approach opponents and stay on the offensive, all the while presenting an accessible experience that everyone can enjoy from the very beginning thanks to the new Special Style mechanics that can assist players of all skill levels.
With a new story exploring the future of the Tekken universe following the death of Heihachi Mishima and the return of the legendary Tekken Ball mode, Tekken 8 will offer something for all sorts of players, whether they are looking to compete or just have some old-fashioned button-mashy fun.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (TBA – PC/PS5/XSS|X)
The Dragon Ball series is no stranger to fighting games, as the games inspired by the iconic series created by Akira Toriyama are too many to number. While Arc System Works’ Dragon Ball FighterZ continues to enjoy plenty of popularity, fans of Son Goku and Vegeta have something new to look forward to: the return of the storied Budokai Tenkaichi franchise with Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero.
Weird naming aside, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero really seems to capture the explosive spirit of the franchise, featuring the same arena-based mechanics of its predecessors, a massive character roster faithfully recreated with all explosive special moves and transformations, and destructible environments.
While we haven’t seen much of the game in action yet, the reveal trailer shows how developer Spike Chunsoft’s heart is definitely in the right place. Hopefully, all the Kamehamehas, Final Flashes, Masenkos and Makankosappos will be as satisfying to pull off as they look!
Rivals 2 (TBA 2024 – PC)
The world of platform fighters is dominated by the Super Smash Bros. series, but over the years, the crown held by Nintendo’s franchise has been challenged by other titles that proved how the Japanese developer isn’t the only one that can develop a game where platforming is as important as duking it out. Among them is Rivals of Aether, whose excellent experience is about to be expanded by its sequel.
Rivals 2 is set to expand its predecessor’s core gameplay in a lot of different ways, with the introduction of shields, grabs, ledges, and throws, as well as new unique Special attacks that can be used while grabbing an opponent or hanging on a ledge. All these mechanics will make Rivals 2 a much deeper experience without taking away the simplicity that always defined the original game from its very first version.
Add returning characters and newcomers to the Rivals 2 mix with their unique fighting style and elemental powers, and you get an explosive mix that no fan of platform fighters should ever skip.
Varvarion (TBA – PC)
There have been a lot of fighting games based or inspired by Japanese animation, but not many of them seem to have captured the spirit of the explosive fights depicted on countless shows as much as Varvarion.
A solo game project by Polygonomicon, Varvarion is, without a doubt, one of the most impressive indie fighting games we have ever seen. Sporting 3D visuals and explosive anime-style sword fights, the game will see players make split-second decisions as they hack their way through opponents while avoiding getting cut to pieces themselves.
With a varied character roster and gameplay that promises to support a variety of combat scenarios, ranging from duels to group melees, Varvarion could be one of the most surprising fighting games releasing in 2024.
Die by the Blade (TBA – PC/PS5/PS4/XB1/XSS|X/Switch)
Triple Hill Interactive and Tokio Midori Games’ Die by the Blade has become a constant presence in our most anticipated fighting games lists, as the game was originally supposed to come out in 2021 but was delayed multiple times.
In 2023, however, we were finally given a chance to try Die by the Blade out with a demo released on Steam, which showed how the game will be very different from its illustrious inspiration, Square Enix’s Bushido Blade series. Where the old Japanese franchise featured a certain simplicity at its core, Die by the Blade is rather complex, requiring players to learn tons of different mechanics to be even remotely competent at it and avoid those devastating 1-hit kill attacks that define the experience, alongside its cyberpunk setting.
Will 2024 finally be the year we will force an opponent to Die by the Blade? No one but the developers knows, but if it is, it will be an honorable death. And not too painful, hopefully.
Honorable Mentions
2024 for fighting games isn’t all going to be about the five titles above, as others will also debut on the market in the next 12 months, bringing innovative experiences alongside tributes to the best fighting games released in the past decades that will make fans of the genre happy, no matter their preference.
- Orbitals
- Blazing Strike
- Final Fury
- Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash
- Under Night In-Birth II Sys: Celes