What are the best fighting games on PC? When the fighting game boom first began in the 90s, the genre was largely the province of arcades. Since then, fighting games have mostly been released on consoles, but now - finally - we can play most of the best fighting games on the planet on our home computers.
The best fighting games on PC have a reputation for being difficult to master, but with the advent of video tutorials and guides covering all the basics, there's never been a better time to start playing this highly competitive genre. Even if you're far from competing at Evo, there are plenty of ways to enjoy these multiplayer games, from online Street Fighter matches to the powerful single-player content of games like Injustice and Soulcalibur.
We've focused on competitive play with the most active communities, but you'll also find some classic fighters and curve balls here as well. Grab your battle staff, practice your fireballs and get ready for the best fighting games on PC.
Here are the best fighting games on PC:
The best fighting games on PC
In this list, we've rounded up 2D and 3D fighting games, from ultra-competitive 1v1 skirmishes to crazy team brawls. We even have games that bring together many popular characters under one roof to create a brawl.
The King of Fighters
King of Fighters XV is the best KoF game in a long time. King of Fighters has experimented with a variety of radically different mechanics since the original game released in 1994, and the same thing happens in the new installment of the long-running 3v3 fighting series.
KoF XV introduced the Shatter Strike defensive option, which repels any attack by expending energy. Additionally, returning mechanics from previous games have been tweaked to make them more user-friendly for new players. For example, Max Mode now has two versions: one that allows you to increase a fighter's attack and defense power, and another that allows you to immediately cancel any attack, turning it into a new combo that would otherwise not be possible.
The online features of the game are impressive: lots of options to play with other players, including an online training mode where you can connect with other players and learn from them. Improvements in the netcode, especially in the PC version, mean that combat with other players online is as close to arcade as possible. There's a fair amount of skill in the game that KoF veterans are more likely to trample on newcomers, but it's something you can always work on with practice.
Guilty gear strive
Arc Systemworks may be best known for Dragonball FighterZ or countless other anime fighters, but its flagship game has always been Guilty Gear. The Xrd generation brought us magnificent 3D models on a 2D plane. Guilty Gear Strive is more polished in terms of combat, presentation, and fully voiced stage music for each character - some of it is really decent in its own right, but all of it works great as stage music.
The game has two solid tutorial and training modes, an arcade mode that ends with a two-on-one boss encounter with friendly AI (or a one-on-one super-hard boss fight if you're good enough), and a story mode that is a worthy offering. for fans of the series. Unfortunately, however, this is just a movie with no actual gameplay. In addition, new characters are being added to the game, giving players even more fighting styles to master.
But what makes Guilty Gear Strive stand out is its online mode. Convoluted and confusing lobbies aside, this is one of the most stable online fighting games to date thanks to a specially designed fallback netcode that helps online tournaments flourish throughout the pandemic and for the foreseeable future. We even managed to maintain a stable connection while battling players on the American west coast from the UK.
Mortal Kombat 11
NetherRealm sets a high standard for bloody and brutal combat in its long-running Mortal Kombat series. It's nice to note that Mortal Kombat 11 shatters those expectations more than Scorpion landed one of the countless death blows to Sub-Zero in Mortal Kombat 11.
The combat is brutal from moment to moment, but also methodical - that is, the combat seems thoughtful, and the striking feels satisfying. Throwing projectiles at opponents in the name of zoning reigns supreme as always. However, it makes those moments when you are in close proximity even more enjoyable.
However, it's not just throwing hands, as the Krypt has returned to the game. Here you will find a lot of puzzles to solve and items that open up new areas in one of the best games in the list of the best fighting games on PC.
Dragon Ball FighterZ
Dragon Ball FighterZ may not be the first good Dragon Ball game, but it's certainly a great first. Arc System Works has used its experience in creating some of the most technical fighting games on the market to create a luxurious game that retains the depth of the best brawlers while remaining accessible. And the studio did just that with one of the most beloved anime series ever, showing a lot of love and care for every character in Dragon Ball FighterZ.
For Dragon Ball fans, this anime game is a wonderful tribute to the series, from the gorgeous anime aesthetic to the specific opening and ending scenes - Yamcha's death pose, for example, is absolutely perfect. But all this care and skill is evident even if you don't know your Goku from your Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Goku.
If the base cast isn't enough, there's a range of DLC characters, including movie villains like Cooler and Broly, as well as characters from Dragon Ball Super. The final characters of the third season were Super Baby and Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta.
Although DBFZ has aerial combos like Marvel vs. Capcom, it's much more accessible to beginners. Simple, versatile combos allow you to make effective basic attacks for every character on the roster.
Plus, the system is flexible enough that you can quickly start using tags and special moves for your attacks - meaning you'll be zipping through the mountains with Kamehamehas in no time. The recent patch has somewhat unbalanced the game, but this has made it even more fun. And this is the main thing.
Street Fighter V: Championship Edition
The launch of Street Fighter V was not the most successful. The foundation of the game was laid from the start with a fun core combat system, but the lack of content and characters left the game feeling unfinished. But while it took too long, the release of the Arcade Edition in 2018 allowed the game to finally reach its full potential, and the Championship Edition cemented the legacy of the game into the future.
However, it's still Street Fighter, and Street Fighter remains the standard by which all other PC fighting games are measured. So if you want to understand fireballs, combos and special moves - not to mention footy and frame data - start with Street Fighter, and V continues the tradition we've been establishing since World Warrior hit the arcades all those years ago.
Street Fighter V on PC also supports PlayStation 4 crossplay, which means you can compete against anyone playing online. This is a big advantage over many of the fighters on this list as the vast majority of players usually compete on consoles.
Dan, Rose, Oro, Akira (from Rival Schools) and Luke are now playable in the game and these are the final characters of Street Fighter V as Capcom prepares for the release of Street Fighter 6.
Tekken 7
Tekken 7 is billed as the conclusion of the saga, and the cinematic delights of its big - and ridiculous - story mode carry over into the actual combat. Slow-motion close-ups highlight the most intense moments of each fight, and the series' stone-faced fighters are as grim as ever about throwing each other into volcanoes.
But it's not just about pomp. Tekken remains the most competitive 3D action game in existence, with solid tactical combat that rewards strong technical play with impressive combos and insane damage. It's this beautiful combination of dramatic visuals and deep, complex mechanics that makes Tekken one of the most addictive fighting games on the planet.
Also, this is one of the biggest crossover games that has Akuma from Street Fighter, Geese from Fatal Fury, Noctis from Final Fantasy XV and, oddly enough, Negan from The Walking Dead. In addition, Season XNUMX introduces players to Kunimitsu and a new character: Lydia, so there's plenty to come back to if you get bored.
Injustice 2
Perhaps it's better to read this entry as "whatever NetherRealm's latest game was." The studio has been dabbling in Mortal Kombat and the DC superhero universe for the past decade, and while there are some differences between MK and Injustice, they certainly follow the same formula, but it gets closer to perfection with each iteration. As a result, it's not just one of the best fighting games on PC, it's also one of the best superhero games.
Injustice 2 is a dark take on the DC Universe that restores the balance between good and evil, which is really just a fancy way of saying Superman and Batman will fight each other. The wide roster includes super-powered favorites and some delightfully obscure favorites, all offering genuine strengths in rich strategic matches filled with combat possibilities and spectacular destruction.
NetherRealm games really shine with their content, and Injustice 2 is no exception. It features a best-in-class cinematic story mode, a Multiverse full of playable challenges and unlockables, and an entire equipment system that allows you to customize your fighter's settings and appearance. Even if Mortal Kombat 11 supplanted Injustice 2, it's still one of the most complete fighting game packs you can get, especially if you prefer Batman over Iron Man.
Samurai Shodown
SNK has a long history of making fighting games, but we think their best work has been the soft reboot of Samurai Shodown. So many fighting games rely on flashy combos with massive hit counters to get you excited. In Samurai Shodown, it's almost the opposite.
That's because the cult classic arcade fighting game is a gun-based action game where every hit can chop off huge chunks of your health. This is a great option if you're looking for a fighting game that places more emphasis on "feints" (essentially using movement and knowledge of hitboxes to land hits, but it's much more difficult) rather than flashy moves. It's more old-school in its feature set than most PC fighting games.
But if we're being honest, the bottom line is that we think the incredibly intense fights are worth your time. You can be one hit away from defeat, but make a spectacular comeback with just a few well-timed strikes. In addition, new characters appear in the game, the latest of which is Baiken from the Guilty Gear series. This is definitely a game worth playing with a friend if possible.
multiversus
Since the official version of Super Smash Bros is unlikely to ever appear on PC, we have to turn to Smash Bros clones to enjoy the platform fighting game. Despite having many contenders, the current king of this sub-genre is Multiversus. This free game from the list of fighting games on PC gives everyone a character rotation to try them out for free, making it accessible to everyone. However, if you're willing to splurge, the game already has a large roster of characters, ranging from DC superheroes like Batman and Wonder Woman to characters from Warner Bros' huge library of cartoons like Bugs Bunny or Shaggy from Scooby Doo.
With simple controls, this game is easy to learn but hard to master as the meta is constantly changing with frequent balance updates and new characters changing the status quo. However, with such an extensive lineup, it's worth checking out our list of the best Multiversus fighters if you can't decide who you like best.
Capcom Fighting Collection
While many companies are cashing in on the retro trend, none go as far as the Capcom Fighting Collection. This is an almost complete archive of the best games released by Capcom for arcades in the 1990s. The best news is that, unlike Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, every game here is playable online, giving you an easy way to take on other players around the world.
For one lump sum you get Hyper Street Fighter 2: The Anniversary Edition, all five Darkstalkers games and changes, Cyberbots: Fullmetal Madness, and the first official home port of Red Earth, a fantasy fighting game with RPG mechanics. Puzzle fans will also get Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo to satisfy their falling block puzzle itch, and Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix if they prefer to watch these fighters fight in chibi style. That's a total of ten classic arcade games, and all of them are a must-have for any retro fighting game fan.
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
The fighting game community as a whole tends to move on when a new installment in an established series comes out, no matter how rough the transition might be. However, with Marvel vs. Capcom didn't. This is partly because the last game, Infinite, was rather poorly received, but more so because Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is damn good.
It boasts a rich line-up, which brings together representatives of two of the most beloved stables of geeks. And then there's the art that fits all of these fan favorites perfectly. And, most importantly, in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 features a surprisingly complex team combat system, as deep and varied as any other game in the canon of the fighting game community on PC.
Replete with tags and assist moves, 3v3 battles can get so wild with devastating combos that it's hard for a non-expert to keep track of what's going on - but that's part of what makes UMVC3 so appealing. This cacophony of combos and special moves is a rich ballet that rewards skill in a way that few other games can match.
Soulcalibur VI
The Soulcalibur series has always had a hard time replicating the magic of the original Dreamcast home release. Almost two decades later, Soulcalibur VI has finally managed to do just that. This gun action game is fun to play at any skill level, making it one of the best sword games on PC. Whether you're going to parry attacks or create the most difficult combos, the game has a lot to offer, even if you don't participate in online competitions.
That includes character creator Soulcalibur VI, which offers some of the most incredible (and frightening) homemade creations we've seen in a while. You can build your character in a lengthy campaign, complete with RPG-style upgrade systems and an almost limitless number of side missions, or play through a full story mode with custom dialogue and combat for each character on the roster.
Thames Fighting Herds
Look, we know what you're thinking. This list of the best fighting games on PC includes a game animated by Lauren Faust, the creator of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Why? We'll tell you: she's really good!
Thems Fighting Herds is a four-button indie game with silky-smooth animations and a fantastic magic system for extending combos. The game features a unique cast of characters including unicorns, dragons and the cutest alpaca. The game also uses GGPO for online matches, which is still one of the best latency netcodes around.
When you're not fighting real people, the game has a small story mode with missions that use the fighting game engine in weird ways, like platforming or dodging projectiles fired by enemies in the background.
The best fighting games on PC have already won more than a few rounds in our hearts, but there's always more to come. From upcoming PC titles like Street Fighter 6 or Tekken 8 to old favorites like the ones in the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, there's a rich variety of fighting games to take on.
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