After Street Fighter II debuted in the 90s, gamers couldn’t take a single turn in an arcade without bumping into a row of fighting game cabinets. 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, and Mortal Kombat; all iconic fighting game franchises that 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.
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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 on Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. Fatal Fury was a household name in the fighting game community until it went under a long hiatus, and was succeeded by the King of Fighters series in the meantime. As the series’ first entry in more than 25 years, City of the Wolves can be described as nothing less than an event.
Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact is another new release to look out for, and one that will mark Hunter x Hunter‘s official debut into fighting games outside of crossover titles like JUMP FORCE. As a team-based fighter, Nen x Impact seems heavily inspired by fighting game classics such as Marvel vs. Capcom 3. In fact, trailers suggest that certain game mechanics will be simplified from their inspirations. Nen x Impact has plenty to offer for Hunter x Hunter fans, and will likely be more accessible than some of its peers.
2XKO is 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 to Nen x Impact, 2XKO is a team fighter that adapts an existing IP into the fighting game genre. 2XKO features the Fuse System, which appears to be simple enough for new fans to understand, while allowing seasoned players to get more creative. 2XKO boasts the potential of a League of Legends fighting 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 in Street Fighter 6 earlier 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, and Year 3 of Street Fighter 6‘s DLC will likely be announced at around the same time. Street Fighter 6 DLC 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.
Alongside Street Fighter, Tekken 8 and Mortal Kombat comprise the “Big Three” of fighting games. Tekken 8 recently concluded its first season of DLC with the release of Clive from Final Fantasy 16 in December, and will likely announce and release at least one new character in 2025. Mortal Kombat is in more troubled waters, as the release of Kombat Pack 3 remains 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.
- Released
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April 24, 2025
- ESRB
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T For Teen // Language, Violence, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
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SNK
- Publisher(s)
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SNK