Best Fighting Games of 2024

Last year, we saw two out of the big three in fighting games duke it out to be crowned the champion of 2023. 2024 saw the final member of the big three show up, and while there were some contenders here and there, with one game I just can't stop playing, this was a one-horse race from January.

5. Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics

But that doesn't mean we don't have good games to talk about. This entry might be cheating a little bit, as it's just bringing old classics to modern machines, but if I'm honest, we need numbers here, folks. And, Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, is still one of the best fighters this year has produced. Nostalgic visuals and fighting styles, taking you back to the days where weird crossovers weren't just a thing for Call of Duty and Fortnite.

4. MultiVersus

Player First Games did take a crack at releasing MultiVersus a couple of years ago, but in 2024 we got the full game. There were some things that players found amiss, but otherwise you still have a very tight platform fighter with impressive game mechanics. If only more people were wiling to play it.

3. Undisputed

From the whacky world of Bugs Bunny whacking you over the head with a giant hammer to a realistic boxing simulator, Undisputed seeks to give players the experience they'd expect in other sporting games. Featuring realistic visuals and an authentic boxing experience, Undisputed is perhaps more for a certain kind of sports game fan, but it remains a top contender in this year's list of fighters.

2. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero

As someone who just started watching Dragon Ball this year, I came back to Sparking! Zero after initially seeing it as a fun but shallow fighting game. Now, I see it in the same way I see Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II for fans of the grimdark far future. This is authentic Dragon Ball, complete with ridiculous powers, destructible environments, and a system that makes stronger characters feel powerful, while making it incredibly satisfying to pull off a win as a weaker fighter. Shaky net code and private lobby issues aside, it's the most fun I've had with any anime fighter.

1. Tekken 8

But, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero isn't the most fun I've had beating the snot out of someone this year. That award goes to the expected winner, Tekken 8. It might be anticlimactic, but that's just the way this industry goes sometimes. Tekken 8 turns up the heat, making for quicker and more dangerous fights, but it still feels ultimately like a game of skill. Without the top two entries on this list, 2024 might have been a surprisingly dire year for fighters, but thankfully, we have them to thank for giving us a phenomenal traditional fighter, and a wild anime brawler.