Upcoming fighting games of 2020

Christmas is almost here, and as we prepare for all the holiday cheer it also means the new year is just around the corner. Now if there's anything gamers are looking forward to in 2020, it's the brand new titles and consoles coming our way. 

2019 brought us a couple of great fighting games like Dead or Alive 6, Jump Force, Mortal Kombat 11, and Samurai Shodown, but 2020 is set to bring even more. Although mainly anime fighters it brings a good mix of new and old titles, with some receiving major updates that warrant a name change.

So join us as we take a look at all the fighting games we'll be sinking our teeth into next year. Who knows, you just might discover a few gems you hadn't noticed before. Oh, and maybe you should ask Santa for a spare controller or two beforehand. You can never be too prepared for a good fighter. 

Street Fighter V: Champion Edition

Developed and published by Capcom, Street Fighter V was originally released on February 16, 2016 for the PlayStation 4 and PC. Bringing back iconic characters and a few new faces, the game is now currently in its 5th Season, with the next expansion, Champion Edition scheduled for a February 14, 2020 release. 

The game was upgraded to Arcade Edition on January 16, 2018, giving it a shiny golden theme and several other additions. Champion Edition brings with it two returning characters, over 200 costumes, new modes and more. Street Fighter III villain Gill, one of the new characters to the game is already available to use. Loads of content from stages to characters that required additional purchases will also be available as part of the Champion Edition, making this the best time to buy Street Fighter V.

Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r]

Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late [cl-r] is being developed by French Bread and Aksys Games, brings the next chapter in the saga. Arriving on the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on February 20, 2020, the game will feature a new playable character, numerous balance changes, new moves and more. 

The new addition to the franchise also brings with it the new staff wielder, Londrekia, who uses ice-based abilities. Developed by Spike Chunsoft and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, the game will release for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on February 28. Fans that own Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] will also receive a discount when purchasing the game.

One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows

Saitama, the protagonist of the One Punch multimedia franchise will finally get his own fighting game named One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows. Developed by Byking and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, the game will launch for Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on March 13. 

One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows is a team-based brawler featuring a roster full of heroes and villains from the popular manga. There’s also an adventure mode that has players create custom characters to save the world. The battle system includes adaptive events and you even get the chance to defeat enemies with one punch. 

My Hero One’s Justice 2

This is yet another fighting game that’s based on a manga and anime property. My Hero One’s Justice 2 is the sequel to 2018’s release, bringing new stages and great visuals. Developed by Arc System Works and published by Xseed Games, the game will be released on the PlayStation®4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC with a 2020 launch window.

Fans of the anime and manga will get to fight All For One’s league of villains and make use of new heroes like Nejire Hado, Tamaki Amajiki, Mirio Togata, Mina Ashido, and Overhaul.                                                                                                                                              

Granblue Fantasy: Versus

Ark System works and Xseed Games are developing and publishing (respectively) Granblue Fantasy fighting game spinoff, Granblue Fantasy: Versus. The game’s graphics are made to maintain the original game’s watercolor aesthetic. Granblue Fantasy: Versus is exclusive to the Playstation 4 and though the Japanese version launches on February 6, the worldwide release only has a 2020 release window. 

Granblue Fantasy, the original mobile game was released in 2014 and Versus will take more than just its characters and visual cues from it. There will also be an adventure RPG mode which will have two players defeat enemies in some PvE action. The roster consists of the protagonist Gran, Lyria and a host of other characters.

GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE-

Guilty Gear creator Daisuke Ishiwatari brings the next installment of the franchise to fans sometime in 2020. Published and developed by Arc System Works, the game looks even more gorgeous than Granblue fantasy: Versus and Dragon Ball FighterZ, with its 2.5d graphics spinning the camera into varying angles as its characters pull off cool moves and stage transitions.

So far only a handful of returning characters including Sol Badguy, Ky Kiske and May have been confirmed, with one original samurai character teased. The series’ heavy metal soundtrack is also still in place and rocking hard, so fans shouldn’t be disappointed with the final release. 

It's not an exhaustive list but it's still got several big-name releases that will have fans of Street Fighter and anime fighting games up for nights on end as they try to learn all the new moves and mechanics that these games will feature.