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The best fighting games for Xbox Series X

Tyler Lacoma
Jesse Lennox
By and

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

Mortal Kombat 1
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
Mortal Kombat 1 - Official Announcement Trailer
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Street Fighter 6

Street Fighter 6
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
Street Fighter 6 - Announce Trailer
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The King of Fighters XV

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.

Killer Instinct: Definitive Edition

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!

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
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.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 - Exclusive Announcement Trailer

Tekken 7

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.

SoulCalibur VI

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.

Dragon Ball FighterZ

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.

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Tyler Lacoma
Tyler Lacoma
Former Digital Trends Contributor
If it can be streamed, voice-activated, made better with an app, or beaten by mashing buttons, Tyler's into it. When he's not…
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