Fighting games have proven themselves as one of the most popular game genres of all time, pulling in countless players into their beat-em-ups to see who can be crowned as champion of the ring. From the humble beginnings of arcade machines, fighting games have come a long way, and remain an established presence in the gaming industry.
With the most popular fighting games receiving constant sequels, many fighting games see their player base numbers dwindle. Though some remain with a flicker of small hope, an ember that has yet to keep the games on life-support until developers pull the plug.
10 Skull Girls 2nd Encore
Skull Girls splashed onto the market with its glorious and unique a rt style, the character design is clever and unique, with ultimate moves that match the fighter's aesthetics, as well as fast-paced and exciting gameplay. Its popularity catapulted it into the realm of success that called for a sequel, Skull Girls 2nd Encore.
Released back in 2013, 2nd Encore enjoyed success and acclaim, the fans lauding its return and its innovation compared to the original game. But, as all good things do, its raging popularity ended, Though the servers remain open, its player base has dwindled over the years, reducing it to under 200 players. While the fanbase is small, it remains passionate and devout, keeping the Skullgirls spirit alive.
9 Soulcalibur 6
The sixth installment in the ever-popular Soulcalibur franchise, this game was born to be successful, combining classic beat-em-up gameplay with weapons wielded by the characters in its impressive roster. The series has always been praised for its innovative gameplay, offering various game modes.
Soulcalibur 6 acts as a soft reboot of the series, keeping the game's overarching storyline fresh. The main appeal of SC6 came from the inclusion of characters from other franchises, such as 2B from NieR: Automata and Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher , as well as the character customization option that allows players to craft themselves or favorite characters from other series. But sadly, it seems Soulcalibur 6 is nearing its retirement, scraping by with an average of barely 100 players.
8 Persona 4 Arena Ultimax
When most gamers hear Persona, they will most likely think of the JRPG series that sees a team of teenagers unlocking their titular Persona's to fight against dark forces that hide within the world. However, Atlus has branched out with its flagship title, releasing rhythm titles and fighting games using characters, tracks, and maps from the main Persona series.
Combining characters from Persona 3 and Persona 4, Arena Ultimax has a healthy roster of player favorites to choose from. Fun, action-packed, and even with a fun storyline to follow, it enjoyed a summer of success, with now less than 50 players barely keeping the servers alive. Only the most devout fans can be found still fighting in the arena.
7 Dead or Alive 5: Last Round
Cute girls, action-packed combat, and a simple yet effective storyline: are the main ingredients for the Dead or Alive recipe. The games have seen little innovation over the years, with sequel titles only changing character rosters and map rotations. But if it's not broken, why fix it?
With a sixth installment released in 2019, its predecessor Last Round was erroneously named as the series as a whole proves it's more alive than dead. But the 5th installment has seen a drastic decrease in its player base, leaving it more or less dead in the water. With an average player count not even reaching 40, any who still boots up the game can expect long queue times.
6 Samurai Shodown
Marking itself as one of the most popular weapon-fighting games, Samurai Shodown enjoyed success with its initial release back in 1993, with a total of ten years between installments. Yet, its loyal fans returned to enjoy a fresh game from a well-loved franchise.
The 2021 release acts as a prequel, set one year before the events of the first. Thanks to the advancement of technology, Snk Corporation innovated Samurai Shodown, crafting characters in beautifully sharp graphics, and adding a machine-learning AI that can learn players' tactics, creating a 'ghost' character other players around the world can face off against. But even with these amazing additions, the game is almost dead, with only around 40 devoted fans still playing.
5 Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition
Ever wanted to punch the ever-living hell out of Batman while playing Superman? Or how about dealing Joker his just-desserts as Harley Quinn? Well, Injustice Gods Among Us allowed players to do just that. Featuring a roster brimming with iconic DC characters, players could play their favorite superhero or villain and juke it out against other DC big-names.
The Ultimate Edition gave players the base game and all the DLCs in one neat little package, including the single-player S.T.A.R.S. Mode that tasked players with completing challenges, and all the character DLCs to give them access to the full roster. Though popular back in its heyday, it seems many fans have moved on, leaving only a handful of stragglers that have stopped the game from completely dying.
4 Killer Instinct
Killer Instinct has come a long way since its humble origins as an arcade game, going on to become a mainstay fighting game for home consoles. Though this title takes a great deal of inspiration from other popular fighting titles such as Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, it also has enough originality regarding gameplay elements to make it stand out and attract a player base looking for new and exciting gameplay.
While it did enjoy a dedicated fan base for a while, Killer Instinct fell into the trap all fighting games seem to, and now only averages around 30 players, keeping the game barely alive, but at least players can enjoy fighting as a famed Battle Toad.
3 Virtua Fighter 5
The fifth installment in a franchise alone is a testament to the popularity of Virtua Fighter 5, which may seem like it has rip-offs of Tekken characters in its roster, but it is more than a patchwork of elements from existing games, with a riveting plot that sees nefarious underhand dealings behind the scene of the fighting tournament. Virtua Fighter V boasts some truly unique gameplay that allows players to cancel moves mid-attack.
Unfortunately, the gameplay and plot weren't enough to save it from the obsolescence of time. While it did enjoy a summer of popularity and a base of dedicated fans, it would seem most of them left to enjoy other titles, leaving this game almost completely dead.
2 Street Fighter X Tekken
It was the crossover of the decade: Street Fighter and Tekken, two of the most popular fighting game franchises of all time. Street Fighter x Tekken finally pits the iconic characters of these franchises against each other. It combined the gameplay fans have come to know and love from both series, making it the ultimate experience for fans of either.
With 50 characters from across both iconic franchises, Street Fighter X Tekken was born for success, and for a while, it did enjoy major popularity. But even one of the greatest crossovers of all time couldn't guarantee its longevity, especially with new releases like Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8 hitting the hands of players.
1 Divekick
Some players may glance at still of Divekick and not be too impressed by what's on offer, but those that did give it a try saw there was a lot more to it. The title itself is a playful nudge to the common attack tactic in most fighting games, when players jump in the air and then perform a kick attack to gain momentum, and Divekick itself is packed with references and parodies of popular titles, marking itself as a witty commentary on the genre as a whole.
Utilizing only two buttons for its gameplay (the dive button and kick button), and a successfully landed dive kick one-hit-killing players, it certainly sets itself apart from other fighting titles. But even with all its charm and humor, if Divekick lost any more players, it would be KO'd. Averaging a mere 1 to 2 players, Divekick has certainly fallen long and hard from grace.