Arc System Works, Xseed Games
As the arrival of new console hardware is on the horizon, gamers are looking to them as a source for fresh gaming experiences.
Hopes are also high that existing genres will improve both graphically and mechanically thanks to the next-generation of gaming. One of the genres that comes to mind is fighting games. Fighting games grew in popularity over the last decade and the pack of franchises the genre is known for expanded greatly.
2019, in particular, brought along with it several exciting brawlers, such as the supremely gory Mortal Kombat 11, the refreshing reboot of Samurai Shodown, and the mighty morphing beat ’em up known as Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid. With such a good year of fighting games behind us, it’s time to look towards the future. 2020 is going to be quite the memorable year for games in general, but we’re here to talk about the fighters that will dominate living rooms and large scale fighting game tourneys.
So let’s do a button check, pick our best characters, and get prepared for battle in 2020’s upcoming fighting games.
Mighty Fight Federation
Developer: Komi Games Inc.
Publisher: Komi Games Inc.
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Release Dates: February 7 (PC), TBA (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch)
Arena fighters aren’t dead, thankfully. Komi Games is doing its best to keep the fighting game sub-genre alive with its newest brawler. Mighty Fight Federation throws four players into the ring for some drag out, knockdown brawls. The 11 fighters at your disposal are way out there – you may find yourself getting attached to the creepy green girl decked out in TRON armor or the zany cowboy who uses a keyboard combined with a scythe. The craziness of it all gives this arena fighter the push it needs to become the life of the party.
Pick up a Steam gift card here if you’re looking to start playing Mighty Fight Federation on PC.
Street Fighter V: Champion Edition
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Platforms: PS4, PC
Release Date: February 14
Yoshinori Ono keeps on improving Street Fighter V every chance he gets. Valentine’s Day will see the game’s latest update release and breathe even more life into Capcom’s content-rich fighting game. All of the characters, costumes, stages, and modes included in the last two editions of SFV will come along for the ride. Along with a much-needed balance update that will (hopefully) strengthen the game’s weaker roster members, SFV: Champion Edition will widen each character’s move set with the addition of a secondary V-Skill. Street Fighter III’s Gill will also be a part of Champion Edition’s massive content suite, so there’s a ton of additional content and gameplay changes to look forward to for SFV in 2020.
Buy Street Fighter V: Champion Edition here.
Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r]
Developer: French Bread
Publisher: Aksys Games
Platform: PS4
Release Date: February 20
One of the best anime fighting games on the FGC scene is getting the update treatment once again. The trope of these types of fighting game updates getting weird names is kept intact, to no one’s surprise. Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r] further refines its complex gameplay systems, balances its eccentric roster, and even brings a new playable character into the fold. That new fighter is Londrekia, a powerful staff wielder who’s capable of utilizing ice-based abilities. Along with a host of gameplay balances and adjustments, this update will also bring with it extra costume color schemes and an expanded gallery mode. This new version of Under Night In-Birth looks to keep moving the series along in interesting ways.
Buy Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r] here.
One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows
Developer: Spike Chunsoft
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: February 28
The bald savior known for blasting foes with a single strike is finally starring in a major console game. And it just so happens to be an anime fighter. Par for the course when it comes to games based on popular anime, right? One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows is a team-based brawler featuring a huge gathering of the manga’s finest heroes and ruthless villains. You’ll also get to throw yourself into the superpowered fray with a custom character who sets out on their very own world-saving adventure. As you take on powerful foes, you’ll need to hold the fort as you wait on oncoming heroes to give you a helping hand. Adaptive events change the course of a battle, flashy specials are dished out constantly and the all-powerful Saitama can dish out KO’s with just one punch. Sounds pretty cool, huh?
Buy One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows here.
Granblue Fantasy: Versus
Developer: Arc System Works
Publisher: Xseed Games
Platforms: PS4, PC
Release Dates: March 3 (PS4), March 13 (PC – Steam)
Cygames’ mobile RPG game, Granblue Fantasy, has been a certified smash hit since its release in 2014. Japanese and American fans alike have become enamored with the game’s fantastical world full of swords, shields, and magic. Come 2019, the Granblue Fantasy universe will expand beyond the mobile and anime worlds it inhabits. PlatinumGames is hard at work on a console action RPG for the franchise, while Arc System Works is set to produce something a bit more up their alley.
Granblue Fantasy: Versus is a wonderfully animated fighting game that pits the mobile RPG’s greatest warriors against each other. The minds behind Guilty Gear and BlazBlue are making sure that this upcoming fighter embraces the very best parts of the Granblue Fantasy franchise. You can look forward to dishing out flashy specials and super combos in a medieval fantasy realm with character faves such as Gran, Katalina, Charlotta, Lancelot, Ferry, etc.
Buy Granblue Fantasy: Versus here.
My Hero One’s Justice 2
Developer: Byking
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Release Date: March 13
The young heroes of Class 1-A surely have their work cut out for them. All for One’s inspired villain population is up to no good, so it’s up to those who follow All Might’s example to thwart their evil efforts. My Hero One’s Justice 2 is the follow-up to the 2018 predecessor and looks to go “Plus Ultra” for series’ fanatics. Along with a collection of newly added battlefields inspired by the anime/manga, this arena fighter features several fan-favorite newcomers. You can look forward to playing with the cast from the first game alongside Overhaul, Nejire Hado, Tamaki Amajiki, Mirio Togata, Mina Ashido, and even Minoru Mineta. The never-ending clash between My Hero Academia’s heroes and villains continues on!
Buy My Hero One’s Justice 2 here.
Aerial Raver
Developer: Meteo Games Inc.
Publisher: Meteo Games Inc.
Platform: PC
Release Date: March 25
The developers behind Aerial Raver have a great appreciation for 90s fighting games. That inspiration is easy to see if you take note of this game’s mechanics – combos here are big and flashy in execution and the number of hits landed by your custom brawler. Aerial Raver isn’t your typical one-on-one fighting game, however. You attempt to complete a huge array of dizzying combo challenges via missions of varying difficulty. The action on display within this indie fighter look, sound, and feel like the old arcade classics of old that soaked up all of your quarters. It’s time to brutalize that Sentinal lookalike and pull off the flashiest air combos of all time.
Pick up a Steam gift card here if you’re looking to start playing Aerial Raver on PC.
Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS. Maxiboost ON
Developer: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Platform: PS4
Release Date: July 30
The Gundam universe is home to an overwhelming array of Mobile Suits from a bevy of animated works within the franchise. Fans got to hop into most of those iconic mechs in 2017’s Gundam Versus and now they’ll get to compete in even more intense multi-Mobile Suit battles in Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS. Maxiboost ON. The popular Japanese arcade brawler is finally releasing worldwide and bringing its brand of 2v2 arena battles to Gundam fans everywhere. What makes the skirmishes within this anime battler so engrossing is its focus on the “EX Burst System,” which boosts the power of you and your Mobile Suit ally immensely. It’s time to take part in another Gundam war in 2020.
Buy a PSN Gift Card here so you can digitally purchase Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS. Maxiboost ON.
Fight Crab
Developer: Calappa Games
Publisher: PLAYISM
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC
Release Dates: July 30 (PC), September 15 (Nintendo Switch)
Pissed off crabs doing battle with katanas, nunchakus, hammers, and drills is actually a thing you can play? Yep, and it’s all thanks to the creatives at Calappa Games. Fight Crab is such a weird concept for a fighter, but it’s strangely engrossing gameplay and unbridled mayhem make it worth a look. The game’s open arenas allow for crabs of all shapes and sizes to tear down everything around them while they come to blows. The huge array of weapons you can equip to your rampaging sea creature are seemingly endless, so there’s plenty of fun to be had while you pull out all the stops to claim victory. Fight Crab will grab you with its pincers and never let go.
Buy a Nintendo eShop Gift Card here so you can digitally purchase Fight Crab.
Pick up a Steam gift card here if you’re looking to start playing Fight Crab on PC.
EA Sports UFC 4
Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: EA Sports
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One
Release Date: August 14
The octagon is open for digital beatdowns once again. The biggest MMA league in the world is ready to deliver another quality simulation to its fans with EA Sports UFC 4, which is coming with all the bells and whistles players have come to expect. Over on the new features front, UFC 4 is introducing a fighter evolution mechanic and a Relationship Building element in order to build up Career Mode even more. Along with new fighters (such as the inclusion of boxers Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua), UFC 4 is throwing in some fantastical arenas that embrace the zaniness of video games. This MMA sim still retains all of the standup/ground action that players have mastered up until this point and improves upon it to deliver the most fulfilling Octagon experience on consoles.
Bounty Battle
Developer: Dark Screen Games
Publisher: Merge Games
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Release Date: September 10
Bounty Battle is an indie gaming fans’ dream come true. Its roster mainly consists of an onslaught of indie characters who’ve been made famous by games such as Guacamelee!, Dead Cells, Darkest Dungeon, Owlboy, Axiom Verge, etc. Up to three players can face off on a 2D plane and utilize their best combos and special powers. Plus they can call upon powerful minions who add an extra layer of strategy and mayhem to each scuffle. 10+ arenas will be available from the start and contain all of your wild battles against gaming’s most beloved indie darlings. Bounty Battle embraces the zany nature of Super Smash Bros. and gives its indie characters their own battlefields to hash out their issues on.
Buy a PSN Gift Card here so you can digitally purchase Bounty Battle.
Buy an Xbox Gift Card here so you can digitally purchase Bounty Battle.
Buy a Nintendo eShop Gift Card here so you can digitally purchase Bounty Battle.
Pick up a Steam gift card here if you’re looking to start playing Bounty Battle on PC.
WWE 2K Battlegrounds
Developer: Saber Interactive
Publisher: 2K Games
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Google Stadia
Release Date: September 18
The disappointment that is WWE 2K20 has thankfully been abandoned for something far more unique. WWE’s next foray into the digital squared circle will adopt a more arcade-like feel and feature larger-than-life interpretations of WWE Superstars. WWE 2K Battlegrounds is an over-the-top brawler that pits current-day wrestlers against past legends in fantasy arenas. Strikes, grapples and signature moves are dished out in a more fantastical fashion that’s reminiscent of WWE All Stars. Playable wrestlers include John Cena, The Rock, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, etc. This fall, the WWE brand is going full NBA Jam style and we’re certainly here for it.
Buy WWE 2K Battlegrounds here.
Kirby Fighters 2
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: September 23
Shout out to Nintendo for their penchant for doing shadow drops on its fervent player base. Once a leak for this all-Kirby fighter hit the web, Nintendo went ahead and released it on the very same day it officially announced it. Kirby Fighters 2 takes the spinoff fighting game series from the 3DS onto the Switch for an even bigger, feature-rich battle royal. Players can choose from a huge variety of Kirby’s copycat abilities and hop into some intense two-, three-, and four-player battles. A new Kirby fighter-type comes in the form of a wrestler, plus Bandana Waddle Dee and King Dedede join the fun. Kirby Fighters 2 is the best way to settle all the differences between Nintendo’s pink puffball and its many copycat rivals.
Buy a Nintendo eShop Gift Card here so you can digitally purchase Kirby Fighters 2.
Zoids Wild: Blast Unleashed
Developer: Codeglue
Publisher: Outright Games
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: October 16
Odds are you either remember the Zoids fondly because you loved the old animated series or have no clue what this franchise focused on mechanized animal fighters is all about. No matter which camp you’re tied to, Zoids Wild: Blast Unleashed looks to be the next arena fighter you might want to take for a spin. With an art style inspired by the Zoids Wild anime, this 1v1 mech brawler lets you choose your favorite handler/robot combo and go to war with an equally dangerous pairing within massive battlegrounds. The huge gathering of Zoids featured in this Nintendo Switch exclusive is armed to the teeth with a devastating moveset that looks incredibly flashy in action. Zoids Wild: Blast Unleashed is the ultimate video game adaptation for the anime’s dedicated audience.
Buy Zoids Wild: Blast Unleashed here.
Fight of Animals: Arena
Developer: Digital Crafter
Publisher: Digital Crafter
Platform: PC
Release Date: December 17
The super quirky one-on-one fighter known as Fight of Animals is going the Super Smash Bros. route with this interesting followup. Fight of Animals: Arena brings the current player count up to four for a platform based battle royal that’s full of traps, items, and (most importantly) food. Maneuvering around this hilarious Smash clone’s spacious stages entails jumping and dashing/evading, plus you can do big damage with the use of extra weapons alongside your pet’s signature moveset. Get ready to brawl with some of the most dangerous (and strangest) interpretations of cuddly animals you’ve ever come across in Fight for Animals: Arena.
Pick up a Steam gift card here if you’re looking to start playing Fight of Animals: Arena on PC.
Override 2: Super Mech League
Developer: Modus Studios Brazil
Publisher: Modus Games
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Release Date: December 22
Back in 2018, Modus Games released a nifty little mech arena brawler called Override: Mech City Brawl. Now that we’ve made it to 2020, a sequel to that robot fighting game franchise is in order with the release of Override 2: Super Mech League. Modus Games has promised that this follow-up will feature even more intense combat across international arenas full of wild hazards to avoid and take advantage of. Since the alien invasion force from the original game has been eradicated, the mega mechs that defeated them are now being thrown into a sports league that’s all about entertaining Earth’s populace. It’s time to rise up the Mech Leagues by mastering the abilities of brand new mechs and hop into even more multiplayer modes – 1v1 ranked, 2v2 matches, and free for all battles that offer four-player local/online capabilities.
Buy a PSN Gift Card here so you can digitally purchase Override 2: Super Mech League.
Buy an Xbox Gift Card here so you can digitally purchase Override 2: Super Mech League.
Buy a Nintendo eShop Gift Card here so you can digitally purchase Override 2: Super Mech League.
And here’s a few fighting games that were released years prior, but are now making their way to certain consoles for the first time in 2020:
• Samurai Shodown (2019) (Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC): February 25 (Nintendo Switch), June 11 (PC), March 16, 2021 (Xbox Series X|S)
• Chaos Code: New Sign of Catastrophe (Nintendo Switch): March 26
• Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 Road to Boruto (Nintendo Switch): April 24
• SNK Gals’ Fighters (Nintendo Switch): April 29
• Shaolin vs Wutang (Xbox One): May 20
• Samurai Shodown NeoGeo Collection (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC): June 11 (PC – Epic Games Store), June 18 (PC – Steam), July 28 (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch)
• Fight of Gods (PS4): July 16
• King of Fighters R-2 (Nintendo Switch): August 7
• Samurai Shodown! 2 (Nintendo Switch): August 7
• Jump Force Deluxe Edition (Nintendo Switch): August 28
• Rivals of Aether: Definitive Edition (Nintendo Switch, PC): September 24
• The Last Blade: Beyond the Destiny (Nintendo Switch): October 28
• Boreal Blade (PC): November 12
• Goonya Fighter: Jiggly Haptic Edition (PS5): November 12
• Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate (PS5, Xbox Series X|S): November 17
• Fatal Fury: First Contact (Nintendo Switch): December 23
Heavy, Inc. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon. Our product recommendations are guided solely by our editors. We have no relationship with manufacturers.
See Also