AfterStreet Fighter IIdebuted in the 90s, gamers couldn’t take a single turn in an arcade without bumping into a row offighting gamecabinets. Players from all walks of life couldn’t get enough of this new kind of competition, and it seemed like an instant classic was released every other month. However, arcades began to decline in popularity, and fighting games quickly followed. After several major bombs and a general lack of interest from home audiences, the fighting game community accepted that it might never reach those heights again.
Fortunately, over the last few years, fighting games have experienced a complete revival, with some even calling this period a new golden age for the genre.Street Fighter,Tekken, andMortal Kombat; alliconic fighting game franchisesthat have all enjoyed a major release within the last two years. Between existing titles receiving additional content, and entirely new games ready to make their debut, it’s looking like 2025 will be another great year to get into fighting games.
2025 is a Huge Year for Fighting Games
Fatal Fury and Other Major Fighting Game Releases in 2025
Among the major fighting games currently scheduled for release in 2025, there’s no doubt that all eyes have fallen onFatal Fury: City of the Wolves.Fatal Furywas a household namein the fighting game community until it went under a long hiatus, and was succeeded by theKing of Fightersseries in the meantime. As the series' first entry in more than 25 years,City of the Wolvescan be described as nothing less than an event.
Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impactis another new release to look out for, and one that will markHunter x Hunter’s official debut into fighting games outside of crossover titles likeJUMP FORCE. As a team-based fighter,Nen x Impactseems heavily inspired by fighting game classics such asMarvel vs. Capcom 3. In fact, trailers suggest that certain game mechanics will be simplified from their inspirations.Nen x Impacthas plenty to offer forHunter x Hunterfans, and will likely be more accessible than some of its peers.
2XKOis certainly the wild card of the year, but may actually be the most appealing for fans looking to jump into the genre for the first time. Similar toNen x Impact,2XKOis a team fighter that adapts an existing IP into the fighting game genre.2XKOfeatures the Fuse System, which appears to be simple enough for new fans to understand, while allowing seasoned players to get more creative.2XKOboasts the potential of aLeague of Legendsfighting game, but only time will tell if that potential is fully realized.
Fighting Game DLC Content to Expect in 2025
After the release of Mai Shiranui inStreet Fighter 6earlier this month, the game’s second season of DLC only has one more character left before its conclusion. Elena is currently scheduled for release in Spring 2025, andYear 3 ofStreet Fighter 6’s DLCwill likely be announced at around the same time.Street Fighter 6DLC has mostly embraced iconic characters for returning fans to enjoy, but developers have suggested that they will begin to embrace more widespread appeal such as costumes in the next season of content.
AlongsideStreet Fighter,Tekken 8andMortal Kombatcomprise the “Big Three” of fighting games.Tekken 8recently concluded its first season of DLC with the release of Clive fromFinal Fantasy 16in December, and will likely announce and release at least one new character in 2025.Mortal Kombatis in more troubled waters, as therelease of Kombat Pack 3remains up in the air for now.
Regardless, it’s unquestionable that 2025 will be a great year for the fighting game community as a whole. More importantly, many new releases could serve as perfect anchors for any players looking to experiment with the genre for the first time. Fighting games have continued to become more accessible and more popular in recent years, and they show no sign of slowing down any time soon.
