Best Fighting Games: 15 Picks for PC, PS5, Xbox and Switch

The best fighting games bring together casual players and hardcore competitors like no other genre. Some players love flashy local battles with friends on the couch, while others spend hundreds of hours grinding ranked matches against opponents worldwide. We rounded up the best fighting games across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, from genre staples like Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8 to anime brawlers and new releases. Inside you'll find picks for tournament play, two-player sessions, and just having fun on a single screen.

Fighting games are the ultimate couch multiplayer pick: grab a controller, sit next to a friend, and settle who's actually better. The games in this section run great on both PC and consoles, and local multiplayer needs no internet or second account. If you want more picks to play side by side, check out our roundup of games with local co-op.

Tekken 8 is one of the most aggressive entries in the series. Past games rewarded a defensive 'turtle' playstyle, sitting in block and waiting for an opening. Tekken 8 flips that around: certain attacks restore health, and once per round you can trigger the Heat system for ten seconds to make your fighter much stronger. The result is fast, offensive 3D combat with gorgeous Unreal Engine 5 visuals and a deep roster. One of the best options for local matches against a friend.

Mortal Kombat 1 reboots the series with a new timeline and one of its most cinematic presentations yet. NetherRealm rebuilt the universe from scratch: a brand-new storyline, a retooled combat system, and the brutal finishers the franchise is known for. The headline addition is the Kameo system, where a partner fighter from a second roster jumps in at the press of a button, adding new layers to your attacks and opening new combo routes. The story campaign plays out like a blockbuster, and online stays fed with regular updates and new characters. It's also one of the bloodiest games here, so if you're after gore, check out our roundup of the most brutal and bloody games.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the best-selling fighting game ever and the go-to pick for four-player party nights. Instead of health bars, it uses damage percentages: the more a fighter gets hit, the farther they fly toward a ring-out off the stage. The roster packs over 80 characters from Nintendo and beyond, from Mario and Pikachu to Kratos and Sephiroth. Simple controls make it click in minutes, but there's plenty of depth underneath for a serious tournament scene. The top choice for loud get-togethers on one screen, though it's a Switch and Switch 2 exclusive.

Brawlhalla is a free-to-play platform fighter in the vein of Smash, available on every platform with crossplay. Fighters battle on floating stages and knock each other off the edge, and the simple, readable matches make it great for quick sessions with friends. The roster keeps growing, including crossover characters from various franchises. A low barrier to entry and a free model make it a great starting point for newcomers, especially if you want to play with a friend without spending anything. You can find more great games that do not require any spending in our list of the best free PC games.

Anime fighting games win you over with spectacle: bright art, fast combos, flashy supers, and stories straight out of your favorite series. They lean less on simulation and more on speed and style, which is exactly why fans of Japanese animation love them. Most run on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, so you can play wherever your friends are.

Guilty Gear Strive is widely seen as the benchmark for anime fighters. The MAX Mode system lets you power up special moves and extend combos, while Shatter Strike is a parry that absorbs an incoming hit and stuns your opponent for a counter. Pair that with a striking art style, a heavy-metal soundtrack, and rollback netcode, and you get one of the most stylish fighters around. The roster keeps expanding with new characters, including guests like Lucy from Cyberpunk anime.

Dragon Ball FighterZ is one of the flashiest anime fighters out there: a 3-on-3 format, animation pulled straight from the show, and a deep combat system built around aerial combos. Tournaments still run for it, and the roster gathers dozens of fighters from the Dragon Ball universe, from Goku to Majin Buu. The Super Dash move and over-the-top ultimates make every match feel like a scene from the anime. A great pick for shonen fans and fast-paced action.

2XKO is Riot Games' ambitious debut in the genre, a tag fighter set in the League of Legends universe. It's built around a 2-on-2 format: you pick two champions and switch between them mid-fight, weaving their abilities into combined strings. The Fuse system tunes your duo's synergy to your style, and a low entry barrier paired with high-level depth makes it friendly to both newcomers and tournament players. It's free-to-play, supports crossplay between PC and consoles, and runs on a seasonal model with regular new champions. The launch was rocky, but Riot keeps supporting it with an official competitive series.

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is a gorgeous anime fighter based on the popular jRPG, and one that's often recommended to newcomers. Simplified inputs lower the entry barrier, while crossplay and rollback netcode keep online smooth. The roster gets regular new heroes, and flashy special moves paired with solid balance make it enjoyable for both casual and competitive play.

These fighting games set the standard for the whole genre: the global tournament scene revolves around them, they get regular balance updates and new fighters, and their online stays active for years. They work for newcomers with training modes and for pros ready to study frame data. If you want to get into esports or simply play the best the genre has, start here.

Street Fighter 6 is rightly called a textbook example of how to do a modern fighting game. It offers three control schemes, Classic, Modern, and Dynamic, so newcomers and veterans both feel at home. The single-player World Tour mode is a full open-world RPG where you build your own fighter, and the Battle Hub works like an online arcade. Add top-tier rollback netcode and a steady stream of DLC fighters, and you have the genre's current standard-bearer and a tournament mainstay.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is the long-awaited new entry in SNK's classic series. Its REV system adds speed and aggression to fights through a new set of meter mechanics that reward offense. The art style is sharp, the roster mixes returning favorites with newcomers, and rollback netcode keeps online competitive. A strong comeback for one of the genre's founding franchises.

Three-dimensional fighting games stand apart for their freedom of movement: fighters move around the whole arena, sidestep opponents, and use spacing differently than in 2D brawlers. Positioning matters as much as combos, and matches often turn into a test of patience and reaction. The subgenre is loved for its depth and its tense one-on-one duels.

Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. is a deeply technical 3D fighter where precise execution matters above all. The current version, R.E.V.O. World Stage, is available on PC (via Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2, with a new World Stage mode, crossplay, and rollback netcode. It's not the flashiest fighter, but for pure depth and grounded, chess-like duels, few games come close.

SoulCalibur 6 is one of the best entries in the long-running series of 3D weapon-based fighters. Free movement around the arena lets you circle opponents and attack from different angles, while the Reversal Edge system adds dramatic parry duels. The roster mixes series regulars with guests like Geralt from The Witcher. A detailed character creator lets you build your own fighter from scratch. A great entry point into weapon-based 3D fighting.

Classic fighting games never go out of style: many get re-released on Steam with improved netcode, and collections bring back the arcade hits the genre grew up on. These games defined mechanics that are now standard, and they still draw a dedicated crowd. A perfect way to touch genre history or relive afternoons at the arcade.

Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics gathers a set of beloved crossover fighters in one package, including the fan favorite Marvel vs. Capcom 2. These arcade brawlers pit Marvel heroes against Capcom characters in chaotic team battles, now with online play and rollback netcode. A must-have for fans of fast, flashy 2D action and a great way to revisit genre history.

Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition is the ninth entry that saved the series after a rough patch and rebooted the whole franchise. Fans praised its cinematic story mode, the roster, and the fast, arcade-style gameplay. Three more Mortal Kombat games have released since, but many longtime fans still consider this the high point of the early 2010s. The Komplete Edition packs in all the DLC characters and costumes.

Killer Instinct: Definitive Edition revived a 90s classic with a modern combo system built around long strings and dramatic combo breakers that let you interrupt an opponent's assault. Many fighters have their own resource systems, and the announcer hyping up your combos is pure adrenaline. The Definitive Edition includes all seasons of characters plus the classic arcade originals.

For two players on one screen, Tekken 8, Mortal Kombat 1, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate are great choices, and for a free option there's Brawlhalla with crossplay. All of them support local multiplayer with no internet required.

Standout anime fighting games include Guilty Gear Strive, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising. They combine bright art, flashy combos, and fast-paced battles in the spirit of your favorite series.

Most fighting games are multiplatform and available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, so pick whichever platform your friends play on. The main exception is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which is exclusive to Nintendo Switch.

Yes. The main free fighting games are 2XKO from Riot Games, with its 2-on-2 format, and the platform fighter Brawlhalla. Both support crossplay between PC and consoles.

The most brutal fighting games come from the Mortal Kombat series, famous for its over-the-top finishers. In this roundup that's Mortal Kombat 1 and the Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition collection.

What do you think? Which fighting games rank highest for you, and which ones are we missing? Let us know in the comments.

The fighting game genre is huge, and plenty of worthy picks sit just outside our top list, on every platform and for every taste. Here are a couple more worth a look.

A fighting game starring DC characters, built around team play, special moves, and a gear system that affects each hero's stats. A great pick for superhero fans who want a fighter with progression.

SNK's team-based 2D fighter with a 3-on-3 format and a massive roster. The King of Fighters XV blends the series' classic mechanics with modern visuals and stable online on rollback netcode.

An upcoming team-based fighting game from Arc System Works, where Marvel heroes and villains clash in spectacular 4v4 battles with assists, character switching, and the signature anime style of the Guilty Gear creators. We have collected more details about the game in our feature on Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls.