At the start of each year, our Editor sits down to work out the games that should be on everybody’s radar, but this time around, he is doing something different. This year, he is reducing his choices to three games for each genre. These might not be the most anticipated titles or the best releases, but they are games that have huge potential and a chance of doing something exciting or new within their genre. Welcome to “Games to Watch – 2026 Edition.” Let us now bust some jaws and break some ribs with a look at what’s coming in the fighting game genre.
Games to Watch in 2026 - Fighting
Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game
Avatar, the one with cool martial arts and not blue people, has never really had a fantastic video game to call its own. I find that pretty odd because the property seems uniquely suited to the world of video games. Hopefully, that is about to change with the release of Avatar Legends, a game that will let everyone take their favourite Airbender and his buddies through the toughest challenge of all… one-on-one battles.
Avatar Legends is being developed by the team that made Them Fighting Herds, an indie fighting game that earned quite a cult following for its violent version of My Little Pony. It will be interesting to see how their previous experience translates into a game that uses an existing licence. There is no doubt that they have the skill to pull it off, though, so I expect Avatar Legends to be at least a solid one-on-one fighter when it lands later this year.
Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls
It has been a long time since we have had a decent Marvel fighter. The last attempt (Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite) was anything but decent, and that was 9 years ago. So when Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls was announced, fighting game fans everywhere immediately perked up. When it was announced that Arc System Works were making the game, well then, the high expectations were set.
Sporting a decidedly “anime” look. Tokon Fighting Souls is a 3 v 3 tag fighter featuring a ton of Marvel heroes. Spidey, Cap, Ghost Rider and Storm, just to name a few. It also looks absolutely stunning and unlike any other Marvel game out there. It has the perfect developers behind it, a unique look and a hungry fan base. I expect this to be a massive hit later this year.
Invincible Vs.
Invincible has been a bit of a hit for Amazon with its very adult-oriented animated show, and I have to admit, it is almost perfectly suited for a fighting game such as this. Super-powered individuals going head-to-head is the core of the whole franchise, so it makes sense to carry that over into the video game world.
It is being made by a group of developers who worked on the excellent 2013 Killer Instinct, so I expect a high-quality game. It is another 3v3 fighter, and it also promises a full story mode, ala Mortal Kombat, which is something I always appreciate. Also, just like Mortal Kombat, expect this to be as bloody and as gory as a Nightmare on Elm Street Marathon. I am keen to see if this can bring in the crowds when it launches on the 1st of May.
