The strongest fighting games we will play in 2026.

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Usually the way fighting games work is that everyone rushes out one year, and then the next two or three we’re playing the same thing. There is no Tekken, Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat this year, but there are some new names that could leave a significant mark on the FGC. In addition, lovers of retro tabacin will also find their way. Here is what will be played in 2026:

Marvel Tōkon Fighting Souls

In the genre of fighting games, Arc System Works may not be the most famous name ever, but among fans of virtual combat they certainly have respect as the developers of the Guilty Gear and BlazBue series, as well as the creators of the excellent Dragon Ball FighterZ. It’s a big deal when such a team teams up with PlayStation, and even bigger when they work on a fighting game in the Marvel franchise. Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls will be a team game with an atypical 4v4 format. The roster of Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls will feature famous characters such as Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man and others. Although Marvel Tōkon doesn’t have a release date yet, we expect this to be the only game this year where we can beat Doctor Doom before the Avengers do in the new movie.

Invincible VS

The popular Invincible franchise will get its own fighting game with the accompanying brutality of the original comic book and animated TV series. Invincible VS will be a 3vs3 tag game where fights are fought to the death and leave opponents in a pool of blood. Not quite like Mortal Kombat where Omni-Man has already made a guest appearance, but it will be bloodier than most titles of this genre. The new team Quarter Up is behind the game, but the team is not without experience as it is made up of former developers of the fighting game Killer Instinct from 2013.

2XKO

The fighting game set in the world of League of Legends is technically already out as the early access version is available on PC. However, Riot is aware that fighting games are generally more popular on consoles, so 2XKO will be getting its PS5 and XS versions in a few days. Again, this is a tag type of fighting game, but 2v2, with ten fighters available at this stage of development. Unlike the competition, 2XKO is free-to-play, with optional costumes that can be purchased for the fighters themselves.

Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game

And finally, here is a fighting game that has a classic format – one on one. Admittedly, this one also has auxiliary fighters, but we cannot directly control them. Look at the miracles: this game is also from an existing franchise. We will be conducting the calculations in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender in 2D form, with 12 playable characters upon release. Avatar Legends will use hand-drawn animation in the style of the original series, and on the technical side, it will support everything we expect from a fighting game today: cross-play, rollback netcode and such things.

Samson

It’s time to see what’s in store for us in the tabacin subgenre. Samson: A Tyndalston Story is a new game from Christopher Sundberg, creator of the Just Cause franchise. It is set in the merciless town of Tyndalston, and puts us in the role of Samson McCray, a man who somehow got himself into debt and can’t get out of it. Instead of letting his debts bury him, Samson will settle his accounts with fists and legs. We don’t expect philosophizing in the style of Max Payne, but it is clear from the announcement that Samson will be the cynical hero we usually like to see in these kinds of games.

Acts of Blood

The victim who must take justice into his own hands in Acts of Blood is Hendra, a law student whose family was killed in a criminal conspiracy. When he realizes that the legal system is corrupt, Hendra embarks on a journey of revenge through the underworld of the Indonesian city of Bandung. There, he breaks the bones of his opponents, and as soon as the situation gets tough, the law student does not hesitate to use a firearm. He is so disappointed in Indonesia’s legal system!

Tenet of the Spark

Tenet of the Spark is a tabletop game in which we will alternately control three different characters in three different eras. The bearer of the plot will be Will, a boxer who opposes a street gang and thus awakens the spirits of his ancestors. One spirit is a Viking warrior, and the other an Aztec spirit, and we can alternately transfer to their environments in order to master all the necessary fighting skills and help the protagonist Will to realize the truth about himself.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Dragon Pearl of Destruction

In 2026, there will be no shortage of classic 2D tablets either. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Dragon Pearl of Destruction will be a 2D arcade-style tabletop game. A supercharged He-Man and other characters will hit Skeletor’s troops on 12 different levels to stop a ritual that threatens the kingdom of Eternia. Following the example of similar retro tablets, He-Man will be able to be played alone or in the company of another player.

Scott Pilgrim EX

Toronto in 20XX. 2010, the gangs of Vegans, Robots and Demons took over. Our familiar hero Scott Pilgrim and his girlfriend Ramona Flowers must once again join forces to clean up the city streets, in style. Scott Pilgrim EX comes to us from the creators of TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, with support for up to four players (local or online). We will have seven playable characters, various power up items and practical weapons at our disposal. Old school aesthetics will be accompanied by 8-bit music by Anamanaguchi.

Towerborne

Towerborne is technically an action RPG, but its gameplay boils down to tabacina in a fantasy world. The game has been available for PC and Xbox in early access for some time, but now the full version is coming, which players on Sony’s console will also be able to play. In Towerborne, players become “aces” defending the last refuge of humanity, fighting solo or cooperatively in a group of four.

Virtua Fighter 6?

The new Virtua Fighter would be our most anticipated fighting game in 2026 if we had a clear indication that it would come out this year. The first real continuation of Sega’s fighting series after almost 20 years is in development by the team responsible for the Like a Dragon series, it has a very detailed character animation system, even zooming in to see their faces when they receive a critical hit. We’ve only seen a few fighters so far, so we’re not sure if the game will be ready for 2026. The developers say the battle system is about 70% complete, which doesn’t really mean much to us without some broader context. We hope this means the start of a new match soon.