The Best New Fighting Games to Play in 2023

Breakers and Breakers Revenge are regarded by many as two of the most slept-on fighters from the '90s golden age of fighting games. Now, both games are being compiled together in a sick compilation package thanks to the efforts of publisher/developer QUByte Interactive. Visco Corporation's two underrated fighters stick close to the best parts of Street Fighter II and rely on fast-paced gameplay to keep players' attention. Traditional special move inputs are in place here, so FGC vets will have little issue getting used to Breakers Collection's style of gameplay if they're playing it for the first time here. GGPO rollback netcode and crossplay a go, so this game's online battles will surely play like a dream!

Platform fighters are currently in their reconnaissance phase - now that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has wrapped up all of its post-launch content, a slew of big-name and indie developers are taking a shot at crafting their takes on that game's successful formula. Fraymakers is an example of the latter - it's a spiffy-looking 2D brawler for up to four players that features a roster of recognizable characters from indie-made classics. Octodad from Octodad: Dadliest Catch, CommanderVideo from the BIT. TRIP series, Welltaro from Downwell, and even the Crewmate/Imposter from Among Us are playable roster members in this chaotic free-for-all. An easy-to-learn/hard-to-master gameplay style, rollback netcode, the ability to call upon assists mid-battle, and more are all front and center for this new entrant into the platform brawler arena.

Ever since Electronic Arts moved away from the Fight Night series, boxing diehards have been crying out for a proper simulation game that rises to the same level of quality as those past 3D boxers. Development studio Steel City Interactive has heard those pleas and has opted to fill the void left by Fight Night with its own realistic boxing game, Undisputed. In its Early Access state, this in-ring simulator gives players a roster full of legends and modern-day greats such as Muhammad Ali, Canelo Alvarez, Katie Taylor, and more. A true sense of realism in this game is reflected by the inclusion of 60 individual punches, physics-driven interactions, and innovative footwork mechanics. Undisputed offers top-notch boxing for the next generation of in-ring excellence.

2022's WWE 2K22 did an impressive job of lifting the pro wrestling simulation series to a higher level of respectability. Developer Visual Concepts is now making sure WWE 2K23 builds upon its predecessor's solid foundation and offers wrestling fans another quality bout of digital wrestling. As far as new fighting games for 2023 go, WWE 2K23 looks to offer some enjoyable squared-circle action with the addition of the much-lauded WarGames double steel cage match. This year's Showcase Mode focuses on the Hall of Fame career of John Cena and commands players to take control of Cena's biggest opponents and try to beat the man who seemingly never gives up. Legacy modes such as MyGM, MyFACTION, MyRISE, Universe, and Creation Suite will also come along for the ride.

Out of all the new fighting games of 2023 that are featured on this list, God of Rock presents the most unique take on the genre. Imagine this - you pick your character, then head into battle to pull off devastating combos via timed button presses that coincide with the background music being played. This fighter mashes up its gameplay systems with rhythm game mechanics, which gives it a personality all its own. Following the notes and hitting them in sync looks like Guitar Hero finding its way into Street Fighter, which is a video game combination we're truly excited about. God of Rock looks fun and is pretty easy on the ears from what we've heard thus far.

We'll go out on a limb here and say you probably haven't heard of the whole Cover Corporation's hololive production property. It's pretty much one of the most prominent VTuber agencies in the world. And the VTubers that come from that virtual YouTuber agency are mega popular in Japan. Now we're set to get a fan-made fighting game called Idol Showdown that looks to be another worthwhile 2D brawler among the rest of the new fighting games in 2023. This all-female battle royale features a bunch of cute yet deadly VTubers turned fighters who pull off some pretty sick combos in their new pixelated, 16-bit-like world.

You guys and gals all know what Street Fighter is since it's the biggest fighting game franchise of all time. Now in its sixth mainline series iteration, Street Fighter 6 is pushing the whole series forward with a fresh visual style that evokes graffiti and hip-hop sensibilities, plus it's evolving on a gameplay level with the brand new "Drive" system. The three control methods on offer here cater to a wide variety of players, so beginners and long-time fighting game veterans will enjoy their time with the game in equal measure. Ryu, Chun-Li, and Ken are back alongside newbies such as Luke, Kimberly, and Jamie in a new era of street fighting that's gonna take over the summer FGC scene. Street Fighter 6 with rollback netcode? SIGN US UP!

Did you love all those AKI-developed wrestling games from way back in the day? WCW/nWo Revenge and WWF No Mercy are the two titles from back on the N64 that fans always talk about so fondly. And for this next pick on this collection of new fighting games for 2023, All Elite Wrestling and development studio Yuke's are teaming up to present a game that plays just like those throwback gems. AEW Fight Forever features top-of-the-card roster members such as CM Punk, MJF, Dr. Britt Baker, Jade Cargill, and more in the wrestling fed's first-ever home console game. This one's gonna feature blood, weapons, and well-tuned grappling mechanics that will certainly cater to gamers who have poured countless hours into AKI-developed wrestling simulators.

This 1v1 samurai fighter will take you back to the days of the incredibly tense weapons-based battles that take place in the old Bushido Blade games. Sclash takes place in a 2D animated world that looks extra clean in motion and as if it was painted for an art exhibit. When the time arrives for impactful blade combat, you and your foe can engage in flashy slashing, defending, deflecting, and dashing maneuvers to land the final blow to attain victory. You're getting a lot of bang for your buck here with a fighter that includes an extensive story mode, five playable warriors, 16 battlefields to clash on, and over 50 cosmetic items to outfit your chosen samurai with.

Pocket Bravery is going for 90s classic fighting game vibes, which is why we're so intrigued about it. Four attack buttons (two punches and two kicks) are mixed in with traditional and simple special move inputs here, which instantly makes it approachable for players of all skill levels. Don't let the miniature stature of this game's entire roster fool you - each combatant comes with a suite of powerful abilities that bring their immense strength to the forefront. Pocket Bravery has us so hyped because it evokes the classic look and feel of retro fighters while including modern genre elements (such as rollback netcode, extensive training mode customization options, and beginner-friendly controls).

New beginnings are in the store for the many realms within the Mortal Kombat universe. In Mortal Kombat 1, Fire God Lui Kang created a new timeline to bring about everlasting peace. But as most MK fans already know, that's not going to be the case. And to be honest, that's a good thing because that means more bone-breaking and hella-gory Fatalities are on the way! Alongside your usual array of over-the-top violence and bloody clashes, MK1 is set to introduce "Kameo Fighters" that act as character assists, an extensive story mode, and rollback netcode. Expect plenty of familiar faces, crazy guest characters, and some fresh blood to engage in "kombat" for your pleasure.

It's pretty dammed cool to see developers try their hand at boxing games, especially the ones that mimic the iconic presentation and playstyle of the Punch Out!! series. Development studio Purple Tree is doing just that with a visually striking 2D boxer that makes every blow look and sound as impactful as you'd imagine they'd be. Thunder Ray throws you into the boxing ring to land all manner of jabs, hooks, uppercuts, and flashy special moves as you contend with your standard pugilists and more otherworldly opponents. It's time to square up with the very best as you attempt to become the greatest boxer of all time and the undisputed champion of the universe!

If the names Israel Adesanya, Valentina Shevchenko, and Alex Volkanovski mean anything to you, then consider yourself a diehard fan of the UFC and the sport of MMA in general. EA Sports is ready to provide the latest evolution within its UFC simulation series via UFC 5, which promises to be the ultimate interactive MMA experience. Authentic damage, doctor's checks & stoppages, new animations for strikes & hit reactions, and a revamped submission system are all being implemented to freshen up the solid gameplay foundation put forth by previous series entries. Plus the newly featured "Fight Week" challenges and other features look to replicate the amazing fan experience that comes with being a UFC devotee.

Super Smash Bros. fans got a fresh platform fighter alternative with 2021's release of Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. After a batch of welcome updates (IT EVEN GOT VOICE ACTING!) and cool roster additions, that game ended up turning into a solid party brawler full of recognizable cartoon legends. Now developers Ludosity and Fair Play Labs are ready for a second round of cartoonish smackdown with Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2. With this follow-up comes new characters, which include Squidward from SpongeBob Squarepants and Jimmy Neutron. Gameplay additions come in the form of a new story mode involving players stepping up to stop Danny Phantom villain Vlad Plasmium from taking over the Nickelodeon universe and new super moves that can turn the tide of battle in an instant.

Playing fighting games is akin to taking on an experienced foe in a game of chess - you have to stay abreast of your opponent's maneuvers, adapt to their game plan, and go on the offensive/defensive whenever necessary. Checkmate Showdown turns that direct correlation into one of the more unique fighting game experiences you'll ever be a part of - as you participate in a competitive chess match, you'll also get caught up in a 1v1 battle whenever a chess piece goes into attack mode against an opposing piece on the board. This clever fighter features your usual array of fighting game character archetypes, such as zoners, grapplers, rushdown fighters, etc. Checkmate Showdown presents itself as a thinking man's fighter where an equal amount of brain and brawn comes into play during every matchup.

Whenever gorgeously animated fighting games come to mind, The King of Fighters XIII immediately enters the conversation and gets tons of flowers thrown upon it for its striking visual palette. SNK is doing this game a massive solid by bringing it back with a blessing in the form of rollback netcode. Now you'll get to pull off all those sick Terry Bogard, King, and Shen Woo combos online against the rest of the "sweats" that still play this game while experiencing smoother & stronger online play. We salute SNK for reviving its classic KOF games and even modern-day Samurai Shodown with the best netcode option available for today's thriving fighting game landscape.

Those Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm games go so hard! Say what you want about its anime arena fighting game trappings - pulling off those "Ultimate Jutsu" super moves as your favorite characters from the ninja-filled manga/anime elicits so much hype! Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections is arriving as a full-fledged compilation that features every member of the series' 124-character roster, every battlefield, and every chapter that summarizes the events & epic battles from the drama-filled Naruto timeline. Plus the new batch of characters brings this game's massive roster up to over 130! What makes this ultimate collection even better is its inclusion of new playable characters, so we're pretty much getting the biggest roster in Ultimate Ninja Storm history.

THE ROLLBACK REVOLUTION CONTINUES! Granblue Fantasy Versus, which made its way onto American shores in 2020, was addled by delay-based netcode. Even though it's another strong fighter from the devs at Arc System Works, its shoddy online performance has kept its community from enjoying it as much as they truly want to. Now a major update for the game on par with Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 is on its way with a ton of welcome features. Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is arriving with rollback netcode, crossplay, new characters, new stages, a more powerful version of "Plus Skills" called "Ultimate Skills," and so much more. We're not even gonna lie - that "Rising Royale" online lobby party game looks mad hype, too!

Imagine our surprise when out of nowhere, The Rumble Fish 2 finally came to consoles last year with rollback netcode to boot! Now if you copped the physical version of that game, you were gifted with a download code for the first game in the series. Now we're even more shocked to see that game come back with a few noteworthy features. The Rumble Fish+ is retaining its signature style of 2D combat while arriving with rollback netcode and a training mode with access to a CPU recording & playback feature. Obscure fighting games that never got the love they truly deserved back in the day are getting another chance at bat thanks to rollback netcode-assisted rereleases such as this one!