Since the resurgence of the fighting game genre, it’s seen plenty of high points. Tekken went from feeling stagnant to gaining a new lease on life in Tekken 7. Mortal Kombat got bloodier than ever before its developers Netherrealm Studios put the claret away to give DC a Marvel contender with the Injustice games.
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King of Fighters and Guilty Gear came back in from the cold, Super Smash Bros Ultimate lived up to its name, and the indie scene saw a slew of underrated fighters like Them’s Fightin’ Herds and Punch Planet. 2023 promises to continue this upward trend with more promising titles.
The first three entries on this list are primarily here because fans are keen to hear more about their development. Project L isn’t even the free-to-play fighting game’s actual name. It’s Riot Games Inc’s development title for their hand-to-hand spin-off from League of Legends. Chances are Project L won’t see a full release until 2024. However, the details about it thus far are tantalizing.
It’s a tag-based game where the two “champions” can pull off the usual shenanigans: tagging in & out, assist attacks, and the “Dynamic Save” where the Assist character breaks an opponent’s combo. It also combines LoL’s gameplay with fighting game meter mechanics as they pull off different Abilities. Confirmed characters thus far include Ahri, Darius, Katarina, and LoL‘s unofficial mascot Jinx.
9 Garou 2
The original Garou: Mark of the Wolves didn’t get the recognition it deserved. The game played well and was beautifully animated. It rivaled Street Fighter 3: Third Strike despite running on much older hardware. While a sequel was in the works in the early 2000s, it was canceled, and the story of Rock Howard was left on an open cliffhanger.
So, fighting game fans were over the moon when SNK announced it would finally get a sequel after 20+ years. It’s unlikely to be released in 2023, but there’s bound to be more news about it coming out over the next few months. Currently, all that’s known is that both Rock Howard and Terry Bogard will be back in action. It’s a safe bet that more popular characters from Garou and the Fatal Fury games will join them.
8 Varvarion
While fisticuffs are fine, some people prefer their fighters to be armed. There’s something expressive and dynamic about a good weapons fighter, even if they’re thin on the ground beyond Samurai Shodown and Soulcalibur. Polygonomicon’s Varvarion aims to bolster the subgenre’s ranks by combining 3D sword-fighting action with anime-esque stunts and visuals.
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Players roam around the stage, fighting grunts and other foes as well as each other as they get to grips with their weapons. It’s not enough to just hack and slash away, as they will have to learn to evade, block, and riposte to get the advantage. While it looks like another anime fighter, Varvarion is more intricate than it lets on. It just needs a set release date and more details to captivate its audience.
7 Die By the Blade
Another issue with weapons-based fighting games is that lethal-looking attacks aren’t always so lethal. Characters in Soulcalibur chop, stab, and impale each other multiple times and are only inconvenienced than brutally maimed. Grindstone’s Die By the Blade fixes that by following cult classic PS1 fighter Bushido Blade‘s lead, where all it takes to win (or lose) is the right hit in the right spots.
One sword swipe to the neck or point to the gut can be all it takes, while slices elsewhere can injure a character badly enough to limit their attacks or keep them from moving. It’s a serious, more realistic take on weapons combat within a neat, samurai-punk setting. The game was initially set for release in 2021 but now aims to be out for PC and consoles in 2023.
6 God Of Rock
Fighting games and rhythm games have a few things in common, from their tight timing requirements to their love of combos and chain hits. Still, there hasn’t been an attempt to bring the two together since Slap Happy Rhythm Busters on the PS1. At least until now with Maximum Games’ upcoming title God of Rock.
The game sees the world’s greatest musicians fight each other by hitting their beats on time while hitting each other. There are 40+ tracks for players to get to grips with, and 12 characters with their own unique harmonic and pugilistic styles. It’s a new approach to both genres that looks both fun and refreshing. Though there’s only one way to be sure: wait until its release on all platforms on 23rd April 2023.
5 Fraymakers
Platform fighters have formed their own niche since Super Smash Bros became a big hit with fans. Nintendo’s brawler was the only game in town for a while. Nowadays, there’s a little more choice with MultiVersus and Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl bringing more mascots into the melee. Fraymakers does the same, but with indie video game characters.
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It has Smash Bros-like controls and an Indie Pogo-like cast featuring Octodad, Welltaro from Downwell, Commander Video from Bit.Trip Runner, and more. The game will even include Assist characters that dig very deep, bringing in characters from Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy, I Wanna Be the Guy, and VVVVVV among others. It’s the classic Smash experience with a fresh set of cult game favorites.
4 Guilty Gear Strive Season 2
Things are looking up for ArcSystem Works. Their biggest moneyspinner, Dragon Ball FighterZ, will receive a next-gen upgrade to the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S alongside rollback netcode. While Guilty Gear Strive‘s second season of DLC continues, having already reintroduced Guilty Gear XX’s Bridget and Xrd‘s Sin Kiske.
There are still two more characters due to arrive. With Bridget and Testament’s radical redesigns, will another old face get a new proverbial lick of paint? Will they be completely new characters altogether? Or will “That Man” and other lore characters become playable for the first time? Only 2023 has the answers.
3 King Of Fighters 15 Season 2
While fans will have to wait for Garou 2, they won’t have long until KOF 15’s second season begins. SNK announced it would introduce new characters, balance updates, and crossplay across all the game’s platforms, starting with beta tests in the spring.
Luckily, fans won’t have to wait that long for the first roster updates. Shingo Yabuki, the Dan to Kyo Kusanagi’s Ryu, will return to the game, as will Tae Kwon Do and justice enthusiast Kim Kaphwan. The big question is who they’ll be bringing with them as part of their teams.
2 Tekken 8
Despite being officially announced rather late into 2022, Bandai-Namco is aiming to release the next Tekken game in 2023. It’s a next gen-only title, available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, and has a bundle of new mechanics to separate it from its mighty predecessor Tekken 7. The game will favor more aggressive play, rewarding players that use the new ‘Heat’ system to keep the pressure on their opponent.
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They can smash them into danger zones for extra damage, or lock them into Heat Attacks and the returning Rage Arts. Thus far, most of the classic cast have returned, including Jun Kazama who makes her first canon series appearance since her Tekken 2 debut. There are only going to be more surprises in the run-up to the game’s release too.
1 Street Fighter 6
Street Fighter 5 left such a bad first impression that many people weren’t willing to give it a second chance. So, Capcom’s made sure Street Fighter 6 would make a much better impact. Optional simplified controls and a Party Mode for casual fans, and the intricate, traditional setup and online modes for long-term fans, all wrapped in a vibrant new art style and soundtrack.
Classic characters like Chun Li and Guile return alongside new ones that have really caught on with fans, be it kung fu master Jamie, artsy ninja Kimberly, or the Greco-Roman powerhouse Marisa, with more on the way. It’s tentatively set for June 2nd, 2023, and it can’t come soon enough.
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