The world of fighting games is getting a lot bigger in 2024. Over 2023 we saw a huge growth in the genre, with record attendance at tournaments. This was driven by the release of some big new games, but 2024 has its fair share of big fighting releases too. The upcoming fighting games most anticipated in 2024 might be just as big for the FGC.
The upcoming fighting games this year include some of the biggest franchises, all with new installments. There are also some smaller titles like indies getting releases and new takes on the genre as a whole.
There are new releases across loads of different areas of the top fighting games. We’ve broken down the best upcoming fighting games to keep an eye on in 2023.
Source: POLYGONOMICON
Varvarion is an upcoming fighting game with a few unique angles. It’s an anime fighting game that already puts it amongst some of the most popular. The title is also a weapon-based fighter. It’s all built around big anime sword fights. It’s a pitch that sounds like a pretty unique take for a fighter. Varvarion is currently in development but should be coming out sooner rater than later since it’s been trailed since 2021.
Varvarion has been hotly anticipated for a while, but it has run into some problems. We haven’t heard anything about it for a while. Hopefully, this game is still in the works and hasn’t gotten lost in development hell!
Source: Player First Games
MultiVersus, the game that got record player numbers, and then got deleted, might still be one of the most anticipated upcoming fighting games! Although, not for the clearest of reasons.
The game was taken offline for retooling with a promise of it coming back in 2024. We’re now getting closer to that time and we’ve heard very little. It’ll be interesting to see just what happened to MultiVersus and if it can reclaim its spot once it re-releases.
Source: Nintendo, Disney
Disney Domination is one of the upcoming fighting games that’s a bit different. This isn’t an officially announced game. However, huge Disney Domination leaks (images of which Disney has scrubbed off the internet, hence the extremely crude mockup) have shown basically what we need to know about the game. It’s a Squire Enix and Disney take on the Smash Bros platformer fighter, complete with plenty of wacky crossover characters.
Unlike Smash though, this has a decent story component where we get to see Donald Duck and Darth Vader hang out with Homer Simpson, at least if the leaks of cinematics are anything to go by. It’s one of the new fighting games that has a lot of potential depending on how it’s handled.
Source: Triple Hill Interactive
Die by the Blade is another upcoming fighting game based around weapons. This is a 1v-1 Fight where players use different swords to take on their opponent. It looks like there’ll be a lot to like for fans of the SoulCalibur series, but with enough new features to stand on its own.
Source: Team Fray
Fraymakers is an upcoming platform fighter that’s got a few features that’ll impress players. Kind of like Smash Bros bringing in characters from across gaming, Fraymakers is featuring more than a few indie game characters. You’ll be able to pay as indie icons like Octo Dad and Among Us Crewates. in this game! As a platform fighter, it’s going to be a bit more accessible than a 2D fighter too, which is always a plus.
Fraymakers isn’t quite an upcoming fighting game, at least not in the simplest sense. The game is in early access, but its full release is definitely highly anticipated.
Source: Aether Studios
Rivals of Aether was something of a quieter hit in fighting games, finding a dedicated community for its unique Smash-style gameplay. The series is receiving a second installment here, now just called Rivals 2. It’s introducing a few new mechanics like a shield and grab. There’s more complexity and more depth, great if you want to spend time grinding to get good at fighting games. This is due to release at some point in 2024.
Source: Bandai Namco
The latest Dragon Ball tie-in release has to be one of the most anticipated current fighting games. Shown off in greater detail at the end of 2023, Sparking Zero is switching to its Japanese name for this release. It might be better known to long-term fans as Dragon Ball Budokai Tenkaichi 4!
The landmark series had the most characters and the biggest fights, and this latest release promises to go even further. We’re still waiting on an exact release date but it’s been heavily anticipated since its first reveal.
Source: @inbirthPR
Last year we saw Granblue Fantasy Versus receive a sequel, this year it’s Under Night In-Birth’s turn. A new game in this series has been announced, coming in the first month of 2024. This is already shaping up to be one of the biggest anime-fighting game releases of the year.
It’s going to expand on the gameplay we saw in the original and introduce new features. Furthermore, some of the more impressive include features to help new players get on board quicker and to make the whole ecosystem more accessible. Great news given the influx of newer fighting game players in the last year.
Image Credits | Riot Games
Project L might be the most anticipated fighting game for quite a lot of esports fans. It’s a new fighter coming from LoL developer Riot which is taking theapproach to build a balanced game that supports a hardcore player base and applying it to a fighter. We’ve seen quite a bit of the game so far, with a demo for Project L at EVO 2023. The game looks to be doing a lot of similar things to other major franchises in fighting games, but coming from Riot it’s still enough to warrant high anticipation from players.
Source: Bandai Namco
Along with MK and SF, Tekken is the third of the big fighting game franchises. Not to be outdone, we’re also getting a new release from the Bandai Namco series in 2024.
We know quite a bit about what’s coming with Tekken 8 now. It looks like a substantial update to the franchise. Visually, it’s a huge upgrade. In gameplay, this feels like a natural evolution of what’s come before. This one releases really early in 2024, but it’s one of the biggest upcoming fighting games.
LOL
CS2
Dota 2
Valorant
Fortnite
Call of Duty
Mobile Games
Gaming
EN Global 
JP 日本語
BR Português
Did you forget about Virtua Fighter? Even though it’s been years since the last installment, it’s popularity is right up there with Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and Tekken in the popularity department.