2019 is here and if you enjoy the fighting genre then there are already some great titles that you will want to keep tabs on. We’re going to list out some of our most anticipated fighting video game titles launching this year below. Likewise, because the year is not over yet, we’ll continue to add on to this list when more video game titles are announced and updated with information. As a result, you will definitely want to keep this page bookmarked and check back often for future revisions. With all that said, take a look at what fighting games we’re excited to play this year.
Find more featured lists on Gameranx:
- Top Upcoming PC Video Games of 2019
- Top Upcoming Action RPG Video Games of 2019
- Top Upcoming Action-Adventure Video Games of 2019
- Top Upcoming Narrative Video Games of 2019
- Top Upcoming Xbox One Games in 2019
- Top Upcoming PlayStation 4 Exclusives of 2019
- Top Upcoming PlayStation 4 Video Games of 2019
- Top Upcoming JRPG Video Games of 2019
- Top Upcoming Cooperative Video Games of 2019
- Top Upcoming Nintendo Switch Video Games of 2019
- Top Upcoming Nintendo Switch Exclusives of 2019
- Top Upcoming Action Video Games of 2019
- Top Upcoming Exploration Video Games of 2019
- Top Upcoming Zombie Video Games of 2019
- Top Upcoming Horror Video Games of 2019
- Top Upcoming Xbox One Exclusives of 2019
- Top Upcoming RPG Video Games of 2019
- Top Upcoming FPS Video Games of 2019
- Top Upcoming Adventure Video Games of 2019
- Top Upcoming Open World Video Games of 2019
- Top Upcoming Third-Person Video Games of 2019
- Top Upcoming Sci-Fi Video Games of 2019
River City Girls
- Developer: WayForward
- Publisher: Arc System Works
- Platforms: NS, PS4, XBO, PC
- Release: September 5, 2019
A spin-off of the fighting game series, Kunio-Kun, comes River City Girls. Developed by WayFoward and being overseen by Arc System Works, this is a brand new brawler type of video game. If you’re familiar with the previous series mentioned, the game follows Kyoko and Misako who are two high-schoolers that must rescue their boyfriends, Kunio and Rikki. Gameplay will bee a classic side-scrolling beat ‘em up with players going through six different regions and taking out the criminal scum linked to kidnapping our main series protagonists. Similar to the old school classic beat ‘em up video game titles, River City Girls will feature a cooperative game mode that will allow two players to go through the campaign.
Dead or Alive 6
- Developer: Team Ninja
- Publisher: Koei Tecmo
- Platforms: PC, XBO, PS4
- Release: March 1, 2019
Dead or Alive 6 is making a debut in 2019. Apparently, from what the developers have stated so far, we can expect less focus on fan service and instead anticipate a true fighting game experience. Combat will be brutal and tweaked to deliver competitive gameplay where we will now get a slow-motion effect where fighters may show a close-up of powerful damaging moments in the game. We’re also getting for the first time ever in the franchise an option to customize the costume for various fighters. This will also be a perfect jumping point for newcomers to the franchise as developers have crafted up the gameplay to be more suitable to those who may not have played Dead or Alive title in the past.
Players will find that a total of twenty-six fighters will be in the roster when the game launches which will also include SNK guest fighters. Best of all Dead or Alive 6 will have a free-to-play option with core fighters much like how Dead or Alive 5 had when the title launched back in 2012.
Mortal Kombat 11
- Developer: NetherRealm Studios
- Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
- Platforms: PC, PS4, XBO, NS
- Release: April 23, 2019
Mortal Kombat is a staple to the fighting genre with so many titles flooding the market across generations of platforms. In a surprise reveal at The Game Awards 2018 we got our first announcement that developers over at NetherRealm Studios are working on the eleventh main installment to the Mortal Kombat franchise. We don’t know very much at all regarding this game other than what was shown off during the first reveal trailer.
Within the trailer, we saw Scorpion and Raiden battling and it looks like there will be some time element at play when a female character was shown next to a reverse flowing hourglass. For those who pre-order the game, you will receive access to Shao Kahn as a bonus character but we imagine that the developers have character packs readily available throughout the game’s launch serving as additional past Mortal Kombat characters to other franchise crossovers much like their previous release, Mortal Kombat X.
Granblue Fantasy Versus
- Developer: Arc System Works
- Publisher: Cygames
- Platforms: PS4
- Release: 2019 JP
Granblue Fantasy started off as mobile and browser-based video game. Overall, it was an RPG with turn-based combat and a slew of different characters which could be acquired by completing quests, side-stories and specialized events. That title released in 2014 and was a Japanese exclusive but now we’re getting a fighting title based around the characters from the franchise. So far we know that this will be a 2.5D fighter and it’s being developed under ArcSystem Works which have brought out plenty of successful fighting titles in the past. Unfortunately, it only has a Japanese release schedule for 2019 but we’re hoping that it does reach western markets as well.
Samurai Showdown
- Developer: SNK Corporation
- Publisher: SNK Corporation
- Platforms: PC, NS, PS4, XBO
- Release: 2019
SNK is a well-known developer who has done a few fighting titles in the past which you have played before. You know, video game franchises such as The King of Fighters, The Last Blade, and Waku Waku. However, an old franchise is getting picked back up for players to enjoy this year. We’re referring to Samurai Spirits, a fighting series that takes players to feudal-era Japan where they must battle against their foe through the use of weapons. It’s a series that has been around since the 1990s and had a number of installments released since.
Unfortunately, the game franchise hasn’t been worked on in over ten years. The last main installment to the series was Samurai Shodown: Sen, a title that was released in 2008 for the Xbox 360. Now a new installment simply known as Samurai Spirits is making a return on current generation platforms. We know that the game will be using Unreal Engine 4 and players will find a few returnees such as Haohmaru, Nakoruru, Galford, Earthquake, and Tam Tam. However, there weren’t too many details released as of yet on what players can expect with this upcoming installment. Likewise, there’s only a slated release window of 2019 so as it stands right now, this game is still very much a mystery.