The best fighting games for Xbox Series X

Xbox missed out on a lot of fighting games in past generations, but this time around it’s making sure its players aren’t left out of the fight. All the biggest franchises are here on the Series X and S , with more to come as the generation goes on . Whether you’re a veteran of tournaments and street brawls or are jumping into the ring for the first time, picking your game is the most important decision you have.

Here’s the current roster of the best fighting games for the Xbox Series X. Mortal Kombat 1 Trailer 77 % 3.5/5 M Platforms PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S Genre Fighting, Adventure Developer NetherRealm Studios Publisher WB Games Release September 19, 2023 Mortal Kombat 11 set a new mark for visuals and nuanced combat, combining some of the best parts of previous titles for buttery smooth gameplay, a relatively easy learning curve for new players, and tons of fun options for customizing both your character and their movesets.

Mortal Kombat 1 reboots the timeline (or creates a new one? — it’s complicated) but doesn’t take a single step back in terms of features. The story is a fun and surprisingly high quality little adventure, the extra modes are varied and fun to experiment with, and the core mechanics are as fine tuned as ever.

If you enjoy hideous monsters, bloody finishers, and gruesome executions in your fighters, no other game can compete. Read our full Mortal Kombat 1 review Read less Read more Mortal Kombat 1 Official Announcement Trailer Recommended Videos Street Fighter 6 Trailer 87 % 4.5/5 T Platforms PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S Genre Fighting, Arcade Developer Capcom Publisher Capcom Release June 02, 2023 We missed the last entry on Xbox One, but Street Fighter 6 is such an improvement right out of the gate that it almost makes it forgivable.

This is not only the most complete package a Street Fighter game has offered, but it may be the best any fighting game released to date. You have all the online matches and tournaments you expect, plus add on character creators, a massive World Tour mode , and a robust training mode. For newcomers, the modern control scheme eases players into learning how the flow of the game works without having to worry about pulling off complex inputs.

Even if you’re not typically a fan of the series, this entry could very easily win you over. Read our full Street Fighter 6 review Read less Read more Street Fighter 6 Announce Trailer Related The best fighting games on Nintendo Switch The best fighting games for PS5 The best co op games on PS5 The King of Fighters XV T Platforms PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S Genre Fighting Developer SNK Corporation Publisher Koch Media, SNK Corporation Release February 17, 2022 If you want to stay on top of the latest fighting games for the Xbox Series X, make sure to put King of Fighters 15 on your list.

It’s not quite out yet, but the game will launch on February 17 with complete Series X optimization. It’s also set to be a particularly massive sequel for the series, combining heroes from all sagas for 39 confirmed characters. It will also bring back 3v3 Team Battles along with a new version of the MAX Mode and a new technique called Shatter Strike to make battles more interesting … plus a major netcode upgrade to help online tournaments work better.

With so many reasons to check this game out, it’s an easy recommendation for Series X owners. Read less Read more Killer Instinct: Definitive Edition Platforms Xbox One Genre Fighting Developer Code Mystics Publisher Xbox Game Studios Release September 20, 2016 When Killer Instinct first hit Game Pass, most of it was locked behind paywalls, and fans weren’t exactly pleased with the execution.

But the Definitive Edition is the perfect anecdote if you’ve been missing all your favorite monsters: It includes all 26 characters in the game, 60 fps support that makes it a great companion title for the Series X, and Xbox Play Anywhere support to help keep the community strong for those who love online combat.

Get your fix of intense combo building and creature features with no downsides! Read less Read more Nickelodeon All Star Brawl 2 Trailer E10 Platforms PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S Genre Fighting, Platform Developer Fair Play Labs Publisher GameMill Entertainment Release November 07, 2023 There ahve been a lot of attempts to mimic the magic of Super Smash Bros.

and, for the most part, none have really come close. Even Nickelodeon All Star Brawl fell short, but the sequel finally gives players not on Nintendo platforms a true competitor. Swapping out a roster of various game characters for all your favorite Nicktoons, this platform brawler was clearly made by people who know and care about the fighting game community.

It’s easy to pick your favorite character, start hitting buttons, and have a good time, but the game also has deeper systems for anyone who wants to take things a bit more seriously. It’s great fun in groups and has a stellar online mode in addition to a cool single player adventure. Read less Read more Tekken 7 78 % T Platforms PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Arcade Genre Fighting Developer Bandai Namco Studios Publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment Release February 18, 2015 Tekken demands a lot from its players and rewards them with incredible, god like move sets once a character has been mastered.

Tekken 7 is a particularly good example of this thanks to its gorgeous graphics, which make pulling off just the right moves even more satisfying. The story is also particularly strong this time, and cool modes like Treasure Battle allow you to gather cosmetics as you go. If you’ve been missing snappy fist to fist fighting with 3D movement in your life, Tekken 7 will fill that gap and then some.

Read less Read more SoulCalibur VI 82 % T Platforms PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One Genre Fighting Developer Project Soul Publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment Release October 18, 2018 Soulcalibur takes the “eternally retold” part of its slogan very seriously with the sixth entry in the series, which completely reboots the storyline, rewinding it all the way back to when many of the events of the previous games hadn’t happened (and might never happen).

Fans broadly agreed that the change was an enormous improvement — the excellent new gameplay also helped, featuring a couple of new systems along with the many flashy weapon moves that players enjoy. The 3D movement in the game is also some of the best available if you really like navigating an arena.

Along with the RPG story mode, there’s a character timeline to explore and a full roster to experiment with, along with guest characters like Geralt of Rivia and 2B! If you prefer fighting with weapons and like lots of entertaining moves without the need to memorize long combo chains, this may be a perfect fit.

Read less Read more Dragon Ball FighterZ 85 % T Platforms PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch Genre Fighting Developer Arc System Works Publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment Release January 26, 2018 FighterZ remains king of the anime fighting genre, perfect for those who love building up to enormous attacks based on Dragon Ball moves, with a roster of everyone’s favorite characters to pick from.

There’s a ton of fun to be had here, from the six player Party mode to 3v3 tag games for carefully planning out your team to maximum effect. If there’s no such thing as an attack that’s too big or over the top, you’ll want to dash into the frenetic FighterZ gameplay ASAP. Read less Read more Editors' Recommendations CES 2024: HyperX has a new line of gaming products just for kids The best co op games on Xbox Series X The best Mega Man games, ranked The best cheap gaming PC deals for 2024 The best video game remakes of all time.