Xbox Fighting Games Could Go Extinct with Controller Ban

Fighting Games

October 31, 2023

Jordan Ashley

Contrary to most esports, PC does not reign supreme in fighting games esports. While the increased frame rate is nice, most 2D fighters aren’t as demanding. Even the best fighting games can be played on console without suffering too much of a downgrade. Competitively, that’s a huge plus. Although, with a recent rule change Xbox might be taking themselves out of the equation entirely. Xbox fighting game controllers are about to get a whole lot more complicated. Non-standard gamepads, fight sticks, and everything else are about to get banned off the platform as a whole.

Image Credit: Xbox

Xbox Fighting Game Players Facing Third-Party Controller Ban

This week, Xbox owners have started to see a new error code when using certain accessories. Windows Central have discovered that owners have started getting a 0x82d60002 error. Apparently, this error is just the start. They’re reporting that Microsoft will start to completely block the third-party accessories very soon. What does this mean for Xbox fighting games though?

Controllers in fighting games could be discussed endlessly. They are the source of debate, controversy, and never-ending arguments. Basically, no two players seem to use the same gamepad. There are controllers, there’s fight sticks, boxes, and we’ve have even seen buster swords with buttons on them to be tournament-legal. The best Xbox fighting games have top players who use a variety of controllers, depending on which exact input system feels perfect for them.

Banning third-party controllers makes things difficult. If the competitors hoping to take part in an Xbox fighting game tournament aren’t all using the same standard gamepad or one of the few different third-party controllers, then they’re out of luck.

Will there be Xbox Tournaments After This change?

There could be real problems from these Xbox fighting game controller changes. Even if players don’t mind using an official controller, it’s hard to make the case for using Xbox after this. When the console physically won’t allow different controller options, making a tournament run on Xbox is going to exclude a lot of people.

Increasingly, tournaments have already moved on. PlayStation has been used pretty widely, especially since Sony bought out EVO. However, with this change taking place too, Xbox fighting game tournaments might become extinct on a pro level.