4 Exciting New Fighting Games That Could Be Revealed Before the End of 2026
There have been a number of great Fighting Game releases in 2026, from Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls and Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game to Invincible Vs and 2XKO‘s console launch. Although the fate of those games have varied, the promise of those titles have been fulfilled, leading fans to wonder what is next for one of gaming’s oldest genres. With many fighting games still getting DLC updates and balance patches, other rumors have pointed toward fresh title announcements before the year ends.
Although EVO Vegas and Summer Games Fest already have taken place in 2026 so far, other gaming events could be a good place for new title announcements. For example, the 2026 Game Awards in December is where multiple upcoming fighting games were revealed, including highly successful titles like Mortal Kombat 11. Some theories point toward games that are in supposed development right now being shown off, based on leaks and rumors that have permeated over the last few months.
4. Art Of Fighting 4
SNK has seen a large amount of support recently, ever since the good releases of The King of Fighters 15 and the rebooted Samurai Shodown in 2019. However, the launch of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves was a return to form of sorts for the studio, bringing back its inaugural series that originally challenged Street Fighter. Although it had a rough release, the multiple seasons of DLC for City of the Wolves shows that SNK isn’t slowing down with its fighting game content any time soon. In fact, the company has teased that even more projects in the genre are in active development.
This could mean any of SNK’s multiple fighting game series might be getting a reboot or sequel, but after City of the Wolves, it would make the most sense of The Art of Fighting franchise came back this time. A revitalized and modern version of The Art of Fighting 3 just released recently, reminding players the differences in gameplay between it and SNK’s Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters approaches. The characters from The Art of Fighting series also aren’t fully represented in the latest two fighting games from SNK, meaning there is an opportunity to completely bring together its roster from over the years.
Despite SNK’s continuation of DLC in City of the Wolves, a theoretical Art of Fighting 4 could also borrow that game’s approach to its roster. Guest characters from DLC or a wealth of new faces could help Art of Fighting 4 shine, in a similar way that Virtua Fighter Crossroads will likely do for that series. A new game in this series is a chance to give it more content than it has ever gotten before, including a soundtrack jukebox, better cosmetics, robust online matchmaking, and single-player content for fighting game fans to enjoy.
3. Mortal Kombat 2
The next game in the Mortal Kombat series is going to happen sooner rather than later, especially after the mixed reactions to Mortal Kombat 1. While that game’s renewed timeline was interesting, its use of limited tag team gameplay alienated some fans who preferred Mortal Kombat‘s pure 1v1 roots. The lackluster Invasions single-player mode and problems with balancing its roster also made fans unhappy, leading many to desire a hypothetical Mortal Kombat 2 after it. Some fans have even called for a return to the original timeline with a possible Mortal Kombat 12, but that has very low odds of happening.
Continuing the story of Mortal Kombat 1 might be difficult, but a new game in the series follows developer NetherRealm’s trend of releasing new titles usually within a couple of years between each other. Development on Mortal Kombat 2 may have begun the moment Mortal Kombat 1 was released, or perhaps a year after before its Chaos Reigns expansion. The brutally bloody fighting game franchise has re-invented itself with almost every new entry, with gameplay never looking quite the same each time. No matter what direction a new Mortal Kombat game could go, the timeline of the series’ releases tend to follow a consistent pattern.
To further support this theory, Mortal Kombat 11 was first teased at the Game Awards, with a full gameplay trailer coming later at a special event for the game only a month later. NetherRealm tends to like revealing their next projects on a big stage, so the studio could confirm rumors then and there. At the same time, this opportunity would be a big chance to tease story details, as well as which characters will make the cut this time for the next AAA Mortal Kombat experience.
2. Capcom vs SNK 3
Street Fighter 6 is arguably the biggest fighting game in the world, still having consistent success as it enters the halfway point of its Year 4 content. With the latest character Arjun for SF6 coming out soon, Capcom’s fighting game series is more prominent than ever before, reflecting the revitalization seen in SNK’s Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves too. In fact, both games have seen guest characters from either side, with Street Fighter characters Ken and Chun-Li being playable fighters in City of the Wolves, while Terry Bogard and Mai Shiranui traveled to Street Fighter 6 as DLC.
This cooperation between Capcom and SNK have led fans to believe that another Capcom vs SNK game might happen, representing one of the most popular crossovers in the genre back from the arcade days. For the longest time, either studio did not have the best relationship with one another, but their willingness to share characters these days opens the door for Capcom vs SNK 3 to happen. The only question is — will it be Capcom or SNK that develops the new title based on everything already on either company’s plate? At this moment in time, it could be either, yet an announcement could clarify details.
The releases of SNK and Capcom’s latest games have come and gone, so no one is expected those titles to slow down. The expectation now is that either company announces a new project of some sort, especially after Capcom’s releases of Resident Evil Requiem, Monster Hunter Wilds Ascendance, and Pragmata have taken place. Perhaps SNK will take on Capcom vs SNK 3 through a big announcement later this year, as Capcom’s plans with games like Mega Man Dual Override and Dragon’s Dogma 2‘s Dark Arisen expansion take up its time.
1. Injustice 3
Currently, the biggest leaks point toward Injustice 3 being announced at some point before 2026 ends. Rumors about a new entry in the superhero fighting game series already being playtested has excited fans, leading them to eagerly anticipate any news about the future of the Injustice games. Also developed by NetherRealm Studios, Injustice 3 could represent a huge change for that franchise with the newfound development of the DCU under James Gunn happening since Injustice 2 released. The shared direction of all DC Comics media could lead to more synergy with DC than Injustice has ever seen for its next title.
There are already clues pointing toward a new, big DC fighting game, including the launch of the mobile DC K.O. earlier this year. That game featured a stylized version of DC characters, instead of the realistic look they are usually given for the Injustice series. Injustice 3 could follow the mobile game’s approach, or continue the series’ alternate universe story with an evil Superman and the remnants of his worldwide Regime. After the defeat of Brainiac in Injustice 2, there are many directions Injustice 3‘s story could go, including a reset similar to Mortal Kombat 1.
It almost seems like the perfect time for a new DC fighting game, especially after the success of Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls with developer Arc System Works. With Superman (2025) and the Lanterns TV show proving how much audiences are interested in DC projects, perhaps Injustice 3 is the fighting game with the most valid chance of being announced sometime this year. Hopefully, multiple fighting game reveals before 2026 ends will show how the genre will continue to evolve in the coming years.