The Upcoming Fighting Games of 2022

It's all been leading up to this. The hype character trailers, team composition reveals, and open betas have all done a bang-up job in regard to SNK's next major fighting game release. The 15th mainline installment in The King of Fighters series is dropping this year and it looks to be a more refined (and more importantly, graphically impressive!) version of The King of Fighters XIV.

The King of Fighters XV features a more cohesive roster filled with longtime veterans, returning fan favorites, and alluring newcomers. The gameplay itself feels even more fluid and gratifying than ever before thanks to the ability to pull off EX special moves without being forced to enter into a separate power mode. The addition of the "Shatter Strike" maneuver and MAX Mode makes this game's bevy of team-elimination clashes incredibly exciting. Thank god this one has good rollback netcode!

Shout out to development studio Visual Concepts for taking its time with crafting the latest entry in the WWE 2K franchise. And by the looks of everything shown off from the wrestling simulator thus far, it looks like fans actually have a lot to look forward to this year. This in-ring brawler comes with a revamped gameplay system, a stronger graphical presentation, and a whole host of modes that longtime fans should be immensely satisfied by.

WWE 2K22's 2K Showcase Mode centers around its cover star Rey Mysterio, which means you'll get to play out his legendary career through his most famous matches. Besides that destination mode, players can also hop into MyRISE, MyFACTION, Universe Mode, Creation Suite, and the welcome return of MyGM. Fingers crossed that WWE 2K22 truly "hits different."

So get this: Phantom Breaker: Omnia is an updated version of a Japanese-only fighting game that's actually a spinoff of a beat 'em up called Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds. The wait for this new and improved version of Phantom Breaker has been extremely long (since 2012, to be exact!), but it's finally slated to land on American shores in 2022.

For those not in the know, Phantom Breaker: Omnia is your typical 2D anime fighter whose roster is filled with a majority of charismatic ladies. Each member of the game's roster has access to three distinct fighting styles that alters the way they behave in combat - Quick Style, Hard Style, and Omnia Style. So choose your favorite fighter, take a trip into the lab to familiarize yourself with each style of play, and emerge with all the know-how needed to dominate the competition.

Fans have been clamoring for a current-gen rerelease of this Arc System Works anime fighter for far too long now. But thankfully, the powers that be have decided to grant that longstanding wish and finally bring Persona 4 Arena Ultimax over to PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.

What makes this rerelease that much more intriguing is the fact that it'll incorporate the final batch of character/gameplay balance updates, which were previously exclusive to the arcade version of the game. A lot of Persona 4 Arena Ultimax's shortcomings were addressed in those updates and chief among them were the changes made to the alternate "Shadow" versions of the game's main roster members. If you haven't played this Arc Sys fighting gem before or are just ready to hop back in for old-time's sake, this rerelease should definitely be on your radar.

Oh, and by the way - Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is getting a rollback netcode update on PS4 & Steam later this summer!

The NEOGEO Pocket Color Selection series has been such a blessing for fighting game fans thus far. Handheld brawlers such as SNK Gal's Fighters and SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millenium have been pushed back to the forefront thanks to that cool SNK initiative. The latest retro game to get added to that lineup is a little-known portable wrestling game called Big Bang Pro Wrestling, which is way better than you'd initially expect.

10 in-ring greats that come in all shapes, sizes, and gimmicks are at your disposal here. And the action unfolds via action-packed bouts that are filled with death-defying maneuvers. The two big specialty matches you can take for a spin here are the Coffin Death Match and the Reward Death Match, which you'll get a ton of fun out of. Local multiplayer is on deck, but online play isn't included sadly.

The Neo Geo Pocket Color vibes come off extremely strong here! At first glance, this pixelated brawler will take you back to the days of handheld fighters such as Capcom Vs. SNK: The Match Of The Millenium and The Last Blade. The retro feel of those two games come through fully here, which a lot of fighting game fans may just flock to. This game's roster is composed of all the wonderful ladies hailing from the StudioS line of games, such as Slave Princess Sarah and Strip Fighter. What you're going to get here is a 2D fighter that moves at a breakneck pace thanks to speedy brawls and tag team character assists. StudioS Fighters: Climax Champions is something you definitely shouldn't sleep on.

SNK has been doing right by its fighting game followers by making most of its King of Fighters titles available via Steam. The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match is one of the best releases on that PC gaming platform thanks to its usage of online rollback netcode. That one was eventually ported over to PS4 and now that thankfully happens to be the case for this previously exclusive Steam release. Now The King of Fighters ’98 Ultimate Match Final Edition is also being brought over to PS4.

This definitive version of one of the best KOF series entries features the most tuned-up version of its signature 2D combat mechanics. The "Ultimate Mode" offers veterans a new way to play via assorted game balance changes. And those changes can definitely be felt as you build a bunch of teams from the game's huge roster of 64 characters. The King of Fighters ’98 Ultimate Match Final Edition is worth a cop if you've been waiting patiently for it to come to PS4.

During the 35th anniversary of Street Fighter, Capcom is going out of its way to show some appreciation for the rest of its fighting game catalog. And they're doing just that by releasing the Capcom Fighting Collection, which comes with 10 different retro fighters that all can be played online via rollback netcode.

This throwback compilation comes with the following classics - Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors, Night Warriors: Darkstalkers’ Revenge, Vampire Savior: The Lord of Vampire, Vampire Hunter 2: Darkstalkers’ Revenge, Vampire Savior 2: The Lord of Vampire, Red Earth, Hyper Street Fighter II: The Anniversary Edition, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix, and Cyberbots: Full Metal Madness. This tribute to Capcom's 2D past also comes with a gallery full of dope art, a training mode for every game except for Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Spectator Mode, and more.

DNF Duel came out of nowhere to grab the attention of fighting game fans everywhere in 2021. After months of radio silence following the release of a short but sweet trailer in 2020, this gorgeous anime fighter put forth a steady trailer reveal information rollout in 2021 that garnered tons of positive feedback.

After players left DNF Duel's open beta with largely positive feedback, the game managed to shoot itself up the list for the most anticipated fighting game of 2022. And it's easy to see why - DNF Duel's crisp 2D visuals, awesome interpretation of the source material's class-based avatars, and easy yet equally complex battle mechanics all help it stand apart from the competition. We can't wait to slam fools as the Grappler all over again once this game finally comes out! And yes, rollback netcode has been confirmed for this one.

Fight of Steel: Infinity Warrior is pretty much what Rise of the Robots wishes it could have been back in the day. What's being presented here is the most customizable fighting game you'll ever play - players are given a whole bunch of body parts, stances, moves, and more in order to give birth to the ultimate robotic warrior that's always prepped for high-intensity battles. You'll even get a wealth of stat-boosting gear that'll turn your steel fighter into an even more formidable combatant. With a story mode and rollback netcode implemented for online play, this PC-exclusive fighter is definitely worth a look.

Now that Masahiro Sakurai has finally concluded his long and epic journey with the development of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, new party fighters are attempting to enter the fray and make major headlines themselves.

Besides Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, there's the Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment published and Player First Games developed MultiVersus. This 2v2 team-based party brawler will feature a who's who of WB property-themed characters, such as Batman, Bugs Bunny, Steven Universe, and so much more. Keep in mind that MultiVersus will also allow for 1v1 and free-for-all skirmishes, so you'll have plenty of battle options at your disposal within this free-to-play platform fighter. Rollback netcode is definitely in place for this fighter as well.

At one point, the NEOGEO Pocket Color versions of Mega Man: The Power Battle and Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters remained Japan exclusives. Then out of nowhere, SNK made the decision to right that wrong by porting both handheld fighters over to the Switch within this compilation. Mega Man Battle & Fighters gives players four robot masters to select from and pits them against an unforgettable lineup of Dr. Wily's most formidable machines. Just like the arcade games, you'll be tasked with dodging your foes' attacks, getting the upper hand with your chosen robot's arsenal, and stealing each enemy's signature weapon after defeating them.

If you jumped out of your seat every time Godzilla and Kong clashed in the middle of a highly populated city, then this upcoming kaiju brawler should keep you satisfied. So GigaBash comes from the good folks at Passion Republic Games, which is a talented Malaysian independent studio. This game is all about picking your favorite oversized monsters and robots for some good old-fashioned War of the Monsters-style "disagreements."

The four-player brawls can be seen from a top-down viewpoint, which makes all the citywide mayhem look even more epic in scope. Besides the usual gamut of single and local/multiplayer modes, GigaBash features a rich Story Mode experience that focuses on four of the game's brawling behemoths: Gorogong, Pipijuras, Woolley, and Thundatross. The game's Mayhem Mode, which centers on multiplayer party minigames, also promises to be a ton of fun.

One of the more unexpected fighting game reveals and planned releases for the year comes from Bandai Namco in the form of an update for a 2013 brawler. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R arrives with some major enhancements that are set to improve its gameplay mechanics to appeal to more hardcore fighting game fans.

The game features more hitstop and an improved input buffer applied to reading combos & common input shortcuts, which means players will be able to perform special moves faster. The onscreen action will feel and look a lot smoother now that it'll perform at 60 FPS. With 50 characters set for the roster, that means JoJo diehards are getting nine more characters. And on top of all that, this anime fighter is also getting a tag system, new stages, a full game rebalance, an air dash mechanic, and a wealth of gameplay modes.

Yes, there's totally a LEGO-themed fighting game out there that's patterned after Super Smash Bros. And if you're just learning about it now, you can actually take it for a spin if you look for it through the iOS Apple Arcade. LEGO Brawlers is a pretty wild platform fighter that actually lets you craft your own minifig characters. And you'll engage in some zany clashes with rival minifigs across eight different arenas (one of them happens to be themed after Jurassic World!).

When it comes to utilizing items during each match, you can build them on the fly and immediately activate them. The match options at your disposal here are a 4v4 team-based variation and one that's a free-for-all battle royale. We never knew we wanted a Super Smash Bros. game that's all about LEGO characters, but here we are. We can't wait to take it for a spin on home consoles and PC this year.

Them's Fightin' Herds has been enjoying a nice bout of success since launching on PC. The complete version of that game has become a haven for fan-favorite features for the FGC, such as a full-fledged Story Mode, strong rollback netcode, and a free-form combat system that welcomes player creativity with every character on the roster.

Now PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo console owners will be able to engage in the game's fur-filled battles when it finally launches on last- and current-gen hardware. Both the base game and Deluxe Edition will become available on consoles - the later version will come with the Season 1 Pass that'll throw four new furious critters into the arena, new stages, and a whole bunch of extra costumes.

If you've been keeping tabs on Them's Fightin' Herds since its Early Access launch period in 2018 and have been wanting a console release, your wish has finally been granted.

The reveal of this worldwide release is one of the more shocking fighting game announcements of the year! Back in 2004, the Dimps-developed The Rumble Fish first hit arcades and eventually made its way over to PS2 in 2005. Then The Rumble Fish 2 came out that same year as an arcade release. The sad fact about both those fighters? They never came our way in the West. Now, the publisher known as 3Goo is working with Dimps to bring The Rumble Fish 2 over to modern consoles. This slick-looking fighter embraces "Smooth Model Animation" and plays just as well as it looks. This port is set to come with widescreen support, rollback netcode, a newly added Practice Mode, and a Gallery Mode. Keep in mind that The Rumble Fish Original Arcade only comes with The Rumble Fish 2's physical collector's edition, which is set to arrive sometime next year.