As this year finally starts to draw to a close, it’s about time to look forward to the exciting new possibilities on the coming horizon.
2023 is looking like it will officially begin the next generation of fighting games with multiple juggernaut titles confirmed or very likely to release in that 365-day span.
Today, we’ll be running through every fighting game that has a firm release date set as well as those who are probably going to show up at one point or another.
That not only includes the big titles like Street Fighter 6, but also smaller indie games and upcoming re-releases.
We won’t be going over, however, the fighters who are just receiving seasonal updates and new content right now.
So let’s start with the soonest arrival to the FGC family.
Release Date: January 12, 2023
Platforms:PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Although its seemingly gotten pushed back a few times, Breakers Collection is finally scheduled to release on January 12 for just about everything.
Breakers Collection includes both of the classic NeoGeo fighting games, Breakers and Breakers Revenge, in one complete package and new features like online play using GGPO rollback netcode.
Release Date: TBD
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Yes, the main Dragon Ball FighterZ game released almost 5 years ago at the start of 2018, but there’s going to be some new ways to play in the near future.
Bandai Namco announced PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of DBFZ, which will finally update the game to use rollback netcode on next gen consoles and PC.
No release date for the upgraded package has been announced yet, but with more details planned to be shared in the next Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour in February, FighterZ’s new launch will likely come early in 2023.
Release Date: Spring 2023
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC (Microsoft Store)
Guilty Gear Strive may already have been available to PlayStation and Steam players for well over a year, but Xbox players are soon going to get to jump in on the action too.
Arc System Works is bringing Guilty Gear back to the Microsoft platform on Xbox Series X|S as well as the Xbox One and Microsoft Store on PC.
There’s no confirmed release date beyond Spring 2023, but Strive will be included in Xbox Game Pass upon launch and feature cross platform play between Steam and PlayStation.
Release Date: June 2, 2023
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Capcom confirmed from the start that Street Fighter 6 would be dropping onto the world in 2023, but many fans suspected it’d come around February like most of their previous fighting games in recent history.
It wouldn’t be until this month that Capcom finally confirmed Street Fighter 6 will be releasing on June 2.
SF6 is set to include 18 playable characters at launch along with expanded single-player content by way of the World Tour story mode.
Release Date: TBD 2023
Platforms:PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Die by the Blade is a 3D weapon-based fighting game looking to modernize Bushido Blade’s action where 1 hit can end the round.
Although it was originally set to release back in November, the game has been delayed to a more general 2023 launch currently.
Release Date: TBD
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Bandai Namco has yet to officially confirm to the public when Tekken 8 is releasing, but they have told investors it’s planned for sometime in 2023.
Tekken 8 appears to be poising itself as the first true next generation fighting game experience by cutting out the PS4 and Xbox One entirely in order to focus on the more powerful and modern hardware.
The title includes Jun Kazama’s playable return to the series in a mainline game since Tekken 2 as well as new Heat and stage destruction mechanics to advance 8 into more aggressive playstyles.
With no public release window even set yet at all, it’s hard to imagine Tekken 8 hitting the scene earlier than late 2023.
Release Date: Early Access, Full release TBD
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
You can go out and play MultiVersus right now if you want to, but it’s still technically just an early access beta that’s being actively worked on and polished up.
Warner Bros. and Player First Games haven’t really said much as to what to expect for the crossover platform fighting game’s official launch to include or when it’s coming, but we do at least know that ranked online plus more modes, features and characters are still being developed for the early access version.
With how much content is already available or has been added in since July, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see MultiVersus get the big Version 1.00 stamp sometime in the next calendar year.
Release Date: TBD
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Pocket Bravery from Statera Studio is looking to inherit the ’90s coolness of fighting games while adding some new tricks and features.
With a playable demo for it being available over a year now and just recently receiving a big new update, things are hopefully looking good for the team to hit a 2023 release date even if one hasn’t been officially set yet.
There’s a few more titles we could potentially put on this list, but we don’t yet have enough concrete information on them as to what or when to expect.
We somehow made it through 2022 seemingly without an announcement about what NetherRealm Studios is currently working on.
Ed Boon, however, is teasing NRS should be ready to put on a show at some point in 2023.
Considering Mortal Kombat 11 launched just a handful of months after its initial reveal, it’s not inconceivable to think they’d do both in 2023 — but then again we still don’t even know what the game is.
The other big question mark is of course Project L, but it’s probably safe to assume at this point Riot Games won’t be fully launching their League of Legends fighting game in 2023.
At best, it appears the best to hope for is a beta test, but that’s a pretty big maybe.
Let us know in the comments which fighting games you’re most looking forward to in the new year and if we managed to miss another title on the way.
