In 2011, Capcom released Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, an updated version of Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. While the first version is excellent, Ultimate offered significant gameplay improvements and incorporated adjustments to the aerial combat and X-Factor systems. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 was a huge hit upon release, receiving significant praise for its expanded character lineup and multiplayer tweaks. However, it’s fair to say that Fate of Two Worlds remains an outstanding version in and of itself. Additionally, if you had Fate of Two Worlds, you could get Ultimate at a discounted price, which was pretty cool.
9) Skullgirls
Image courtesy of Autumn Games
Skullgirls is a 2D fighting game released in 2012 on various systems, revolving around team-based fights. The game’s lore centers on the Skull Heart, which grants women wishes but, if impure, it transforms them into a monster called a Skullgirl. It’s an incredibly well-made fighting game with beautiful animations, great gameplay mechanics, and more. Initially, Skullgirls featured a somewhat lackluster roster, but it received updates and re-releases that expanded it significantly with DLC over the years. Skullgirls remains an excellent indie fighter and one of the best new IP fighting games of the 2010s.
8) Tekken Tag Tournament 2
Image courtesy of Namco Bandai Games
While initially released in arcades, it didn’t take long for Tekken Tag Tournament 2 to find its way onto home consoles. That’s where it blew up in popularity, as more players latched onto it, thanks largely to its massive character roster. It includes nearly every character from every Tekken game that preceded it, making Tekken Tag Tournament 2 the franchise’s largest roster to date. Gameplay involves creating a team of two characters or a single character to engage in two-on-two or one-on-one fights. While it improved the Tekken franchise’s mechanics in several ways, it sold poorly, which affected the franchise’s development going forward.
7) Guilty Gear Xrd
Image courtesy of Aksys Games
Guilty Gear Xrd was released in 2014 in arcades before finding its way onto various home consoles, and like its predecessors, it didn’t disappoint. The game’s fighting mechanics, exceptional cel-shaded graphics, and well-crafted gameplay make it a must-play for fans of the genre and franchise. It received some criticism for its small roster of characters, but that’s a small complaint, as Guilty Gear Xrd is an excellent fighting game with great mechanics and controls. Various updates over the years kept it going, and Guilty Gear Xrd stands as an excellent entry in the longstanding fighting franchise.
6) Soulcalibur VI
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment
Despite its name, Soulcalibur VI is the seventh title in the franchise, serving as a reboot that revisits events from the first game, released all the way back in 1998. It features many of the franchise’s classical mechanics. Still, it adds plenty more as it intertwines an intense narrative into a fighting game that revolves largely around player choices as the game progresses. It’s easily one of the most exceptional fighting games ever designed, and its execution is superb. While there was some room for improvement, Soulcalibur VI is an excellent entry in the genre from the 2010s and a brilliant title in the franchise.
5) Street Fighter X Tekken
Image courtesy of Capcom
Capcom’s Street Fighter and Namco’s Tekken franchise slammed together in 2012’s crossover fighting game, Street Fighter X Tekken, and it’s exactly what fans wanted it to be. In the game, players control teams of two characters in tag team matches. While the focus is on multiplayer, Street Fighter X Tekken features a well-developed single-player story mode and plot that’s a lot of fun. While it’s not the first venture to pit Namco and Capcom’s greatest against one another, Street Fighter X Tekken leans more heavily into Capcom’s style than Namco’s, which impressed players and critics alike.
4) Mortal Kombat X
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
The tenth main installment in the Mortal Kombat franchise arrived in 2015, and it absolutely blew away the competition. Mortal Kombat X is set 25 years after 2011’s Mortal Kombat, and it features a great single-player story and, of course, excellent multiplayer. A year after its release, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released an upgraded version, Mortal Kombat XL, which included all characters and DLC up to that point. Whichever version you played, there is a ton of content, and the game plays exceptionally well on consoles, making it an obvious pick for one of the best fighting games of the 2010s.
3) Dragon Ball FighterZ
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment
Dragon Ball FighterZ is a 2018 2.5D fighting game released on pretty much every available system that’s seen additional updates in the years since its release. The game features team matches with three characters per team, and each character has their own unique assist. Dragon Ball FighterZ received widespread praise for every element of its design, story, visuals, character roster, and music. The game also sold rather well, moving over 10 million copies within a few years, and it remains popular nearly a decade after its release. Unsurprisingly, Dragon Ball FighterZ took home the Best Fighting Game trophy at 2018’s The Game Awards.
2) Injustice 2
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
There’s no dearth of comic book-based fighting games, but the Injustice franchise has always been somewhat different. The first, Injustice: Gods Among Us, introduced the concept in 2013, bringing with it a hit comic book series. The sequel, released four years later, continued the story with a larger roster of characters, improved controls, and more intense moves. Injustice 2 received widespread critical acclaim for much of its design and improved gameplay mechanics, though not everyone was enamored with its loot system. It received numerous accolades and was one of the decade’s top fighting games.
1) Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Image courtesy of Nintendo
If there’s one thing that Nintendo fans love, it’s the Super Smash Bros. franchise, and the crossover fighting game series’ 2018 release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate did amazingly well. Not only did it receive widespread critical acclaim and player support, but it’s also the highest-rated fighting game of the decade. The game features 89 playable characters taken from numerous Nintendo and third-party franchises, and it’s loaded with additional content. It quickly became one of the best-selling games on the Nintendo Switch, and by 2025, Nintendo sold more than 37 million copies of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
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