Best fighting games: the top fighters to play now

The best fighting games are designed to put your skills to the test, whether that's in an online match or couch co-op. These games could offer anything from an eclectic roster of characters, a high skill ceiling to test the might of competitively minded players, or rock-solid online infrastructure for buttery smooth gameplay to help put them above the rest, but it is safe to say we've compiled what we think is a comprehensive list of the best of the best when it comes to fighters. 

While a game in the fighting genre might be immediately recognizable at a glance, most are built very differently from one another. Some are strictly 1v1 contests. Others are team-based battles pitching two or even three fighters against each other. Gameplay mechanics, speed of play, and button layouts will also differ from game to game. You might consider investing in one of the best fight sticks for an arcade-adjacent experience, too.

Most of the best fighting games on our list are available on a wide range of platforms. Whether you’re on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC or last-gen consoles, there’ll be something here for you to check out if you’re curious about getting into fighters for the first time, or someone looking for an entirely new experience to check out.

The best fighting games:

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For players old and new

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

• Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Tekken 8 is the newest addition to the ferocious fighting game series, but instead of building exclusively on a story that's been 20 years in the making, there's a lot to make it appeal to new players. With an in-depth story mode, alongside a game mode to walk you through the game's core mechanics, even brand-new players will be up to speed in no time. However, the real fun comes from the game's solid online support, putting you against players of all skill levels in the ultimate fight for survival.

 The thing that most players will be impressed with in Tekken 8 is the stellar visuals offered by the game. From the get-go, you'll be immersed in its environments and you'll feel as if any character could reach through your screen and grab ahold of you. Despite its fast pace, you're bound to be immersed in its content, and it's a game that will keep you coming back to practice in every which way. 

Return of the genre's champion

Reasons to buy

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• Play it on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Street Fighter 6 is finally here, and it's the full package. Sporting a diverse roster of new and returning fighters, immaculate online systems, and a massive single-player World Tour mode, Capcom has swiftly addressed pretty much every issue its predecessor had in regards to lacking content. It helps that Street Fighter 6 is backed up by phenomenal RE Engine visuals. Street Fighter has never looked more realistic, but it's still packing an abundance of style that firmly puts the 'Street' back into its namesake.

Capcom has also been staunch accessibility advocate for Street Fighter 6. There's a swathe of fantastic options to help players with visual and auditory impairments. Plus, the addition of the streamlined Modern control scheme helps new players pull off satisfying combos and special moves without wrestling with the traditional 6-button Classic control setup. Street Fighter 6 heralds a new age of fighting games. And whether you're brand new or old hat to the genre, Capcom's latest fighter is absolutely the one to jump into above all else.

A spectacularly brutal reboot

Reasons to buy

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• Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC

Mortal Kombat 1 resets the series' convoluted timeline back to refreshing basics. But everything else is anything but simple. Your first port of call in Netherrealm Studios' latest fighter should be the predictably phenomenal story mode, which continues the developers' trend of engrossing and surprising narratives.

The game's combat has also seen a fantastic overhaul. It's slightly faster than the trudging pace of Mortal Kombat 11 and features an entirely new Kameo system, which allows you to choose an assist character Marvel vs. Capcom style. The main roster is arguably stronger than it's ever been, too, with a mix of iconic stalwarts and reworked 3D-era fighters like Ashrah, Li Mei, and Nitara.

Mortal Kombat 1 feels like the series is truly back on top form, then, but given the brutal nature of the series, some players may find the detailed, over-the-top gore to be a bit much. You'll probably want to play the game in shorter bursts over a long period of time, too, as gear can be quite slow to unlock. Ultimately, though, Mortal Kombat 1 is a title that should please series fans both old, and new, and everything in between.

Guilty Gear Strive

Bombastic visuals and metal as hell

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

• Play it on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, PC

If any game can sell you on presentation alone, it’s Guilty Gear Strive. The latest game in the long-running series is by far its most ambitious yet, combining richly detailed cel-shaded characters with clever camera techniques and an abundance of flashy effects to create something that feels like you’re playing a high-budget animated movie. Strive isn’t all style, though. The game is much more accessible than its heavily technical predecessors, making it a great choice for fighting game newcomers. There are a lot of mechanics to unpack, but they’re done so in a very approachable way thanks to Strive’s excellent suite of tutorials.

If you like what you hear so far, it gets better. Strive’s roster of fighters is absolutely bonkers. A 9-foot-tall mad doctor with a bag on his head. A pirate girl who fights with dolphins and a giant anchor. How about a dude called Goldlewis Dickinson who carries around an enormous coffin with an alien inside it? Topping off Strive’s appeal is its phenomenal soundtrack. Guilty Gear’s always been known for its legendary metal soundtracks, but Strive’s heavy focus on vocals makes its OST sound more like a concept album, and it honestly rules.

Tekken 7

Rewarding 3D fighter with a high skill ceiling

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

• Play it on: PS4, Xbox One, PC (PS5 and Xbox Series X|S via backward compatibility)

In terms of gameplay, Tekken 7 is one of the most fun, most rewarding fighting games you can play today. But it’s certainly not a game for everyone. Bandai Namco’s seventh outing in its legendary fighting game series is its most technical yet, with a skill ceiling so high you might not ever see it. If you’re willing to put the hours in, though, Tekken 7 is a blast. Ducking and dashing through the game’s 3D arenas, waiting for your moment to counter with the perfect jab or launcher that leads into a chunky combo string is always satisfying to pull off. Equally, it feels horrible when it happens to you.

Tekken 7 can be a stressful game, then, but its excellent roster makes that pill a little easier to swallow. It has pretty much all of the best Tekken characters you could ask for. Its choice of guest characters from other franchises is also inspired, including Fatal Fury’s Geese Howard, Final Fantasy 15’s Noctis, and – for some reason – Negan from The Walking Dead. Unfortunately, the entire package with all DLC is incredibly expensive, so I’d recommend waiting for a steep sale if you want to get the full Tekken 7 experience.

What’s perhaps holding Tekken 7 back is its outdated netcode. Its online is spotty at best, with lag and dropouts often ruining the experience. Hopefully, the upcoming Tekken 8 will be able to resolve this issue, just by virtue of it being a more up-to-date title with a reliable rollback netcode. Still, playing Tekken 7 online is worth it just to see those end-of-round slow-motion close-ups when both players lunge into their final attacks.

An accessible anime fighter with tons of potential

Reasons to buy

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• Play it on: PS5, PS4, PC

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is the sequel/updated version of the 2020 original. Including most of that game's content including its entire roster of characters and a handful of new ones, Rising improves the experience with all-new moves, mechanics and modes. These include new Ultimate moves for every character, a brand new Story mode and the Fall Guys-esque Grand Bruise Legends mode that acts as a nice palette cleanser after intense online battles.

And in terms of online matchmaking, Rising brings huge improvements by way of stable rollback netcode for much smoother matches, as well as cross play support, meaning players on both console and PC can connect and battle with one another regardless of platform.

Having released at the tail-end of last year, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is already proving to be incredibly popular and has a content roadmap planned for the current year. This'll add new modes, update existing ones and, most importantly, will bring more characters to its roster. Among them will be Nier Automata protagonist 2B, who's coming to Rising in February 2024.

The ultimate crossover fighter

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

• Play it on: Nintendo Switch

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the absolute pinnacle of the playground “who would win in a fight” argument settler. Its monolithic roster of 89 – yes, 89 – fighters might be primarily made up of Nintendo stalwarts, but there are plenty of remarkable guest additions like Persona 5’s Joker, Final Fantasy 7’s Sephiroth, Minecraft Steve and Tekken’s Kazuya Mishima, to name just a few.

As a platform fighter with an emphasis on super-fast movement, huge floaty jumps and an abundance of optional items, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate may not fit into your traditional definition of a fighting game. However, it excels at being a fun couch party game and an exhilarating competitive experience both.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate also wins points for being a rare fighter with a ton of single-player content. The World of Light campaign is a fun way to unlock the game’s base roster (even if it does drag a little towards the end). Each character has its own Classic mode route, and there are bags of collectibles in the form of Spirits, and images of characters that can be upgraded and sometimes evolved into new forms.

Ultimate’s biggest letdown, however, has to be its basic online suite. Connection quality isn’t ideal, either, and with the Nintendo Switch lacking an ethernet port, you’re stuck with spotty Wi-Fi. And given Nintendo Switch Online’s dreadful call quality, you’re better off using Discord if you’re playing with friends online.

Killer Instinct

Perfect for Xbox Game Pass subscribers

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

• Play it on: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC

Killer Instinct (2013) is an absolute must-play if you have an Xbox Game Pass subscription. The Definitive Edition featured on the service includes all DLC characters (including several Xbox guests like Halo’s Arbiter, Gears’ General Raam, and Rash from Battletoads) and all extra modes released for the game.

You’re getting the complete experience of this utterly brilliant fighting game that places a heavy emphasis on executing massive combos. But that doesn’t mean KI is a button-masher, as your combos need to include specific types of moves in sequence such as openers and linkers (read: special moves that bridge the gap between normal attacks). You’ll also need to pull off a finisher at the end of the combo to actually ‘cash out’ your damage. Otherwise, your combo won't amount to much.

Learning Killer Instinct can be a lot, then, and might not be suited to less dextrous players. But you’ll be spurred on by an eclectic roster of fighters, a belting soundtrack courtesy of Mick Gordon and Celldweller (ingeniously engineered to change based on the state of the current round), and one of the best online experiences in the business. Killer Instinct made rollback netcode an industry standard, and it's since been embraced wholesale by the broader fighting game community.

Killer Instinct is now back on the map as an essential fighting game thanks to the recent Anniversary Edition update. This provided an Xbox Series X-enhanced version of the game and introduced its first balance patch in over half a decade.

Looking for games beyond the fighting genre? Our lists of the best Xbox Series X games and the best PS5 games should help to guide you. 

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