2023 has seen a lot of great games already released in its first quarter. From bonafide AAA titles like Hogwarts Legacy to indie surprises like Hi-Fi Rush, 2023 is off to a great start for gaming. That being said, all of that could be overshadowed by a specific genre that’s seemingly going all out this year: fighting games. With the genre's flagship titles and highly anticipated new projects speculated to all release next-gen titles this year, will 2023 be the year of fighting games?
Check out these new releases we’re excited to play soon–best enjoyed with fiber-fast home WiFi!
Street Fighter VI
From Steam Official Website
The granddaddy of fighting games is making its next-gen debut with its newest installment, Street Fighter VI. The newest edition introduces “World Tour” mode, a traversable world that functions as a single player story-mode. Players can build their own custom fighter’s story and a variety of more game modes to choose from. Competitive online players can also rejoice! Rollback netcode has been confirmed for online play, which assures a smoother online battle experience. Street Fighter VI is now available on PS5, PS4, XBox Series X|S, and PC.
Tekken 8
From Bandai-Namco Official Website
Coming off of its hottest selling game to date, the Tekken franchise is looking to keep the momentum going with Tekken 8. After introducing multiple new mechanics in Tekken 7, the newest iteration will have changes in the Rage System, a reintroduction of the “Recoverable Gauge” similar to what was implemented in Tekken Tag Tournament. What’s more, with the latest version, players can activate the Heat Gauge for added damage–encouraging them to be more aggressive with their playstyle during activation. We can’t wait to see the kind of competitive matches Tekken 8 will have once it’s released on PS5, PC, and XBOX Series X|S. For now, you can also register on their Closed Network Test and be one of the lucky players to test out the game for free!
Die by the Blade
From Steam Official Website
Fans of Bushido Blade are definitely looking forward to this one. Die by the Blade is a 1v1 weapons-based fighter that has a one-hit-kill mechanic that ends the fight as soon as you get hit. Fighting games like Die by the Blade emphasize a more tactical approach by making parries, blocks, and dodges a lot more important, since failure to do so means a loss. If you’re into a more strategic fighting game that punishes button-mashing newbies, then check out Die by the Blade once it’s officially released this year!
Project L
From Riot Games Official Website
Riot Games, the game studio that brought us League of Legends and Valorant, announced in 2021 that they’ll be diving into the fighting game genre with the yet-to-be-titled Project L. It’s proven to be one of the most anticipated and speculated about new fighting game titles in recent years. All that is known so far is that it will be a 2D assist-based team fighter, similar to the Marvel vs. Capcom series. As much as fans are excited for its release, the developers have not committed to an official release date as of yet. Our fingers are crossed for an update, though.
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