Free Fighting Games You Have to Try in 2023

There are loads of great fighting games out there, but this is a genre where you really have to put a lot of time in to get to the highest level. Naturally, if you’re making that kind of time commitment it can be helpful to try things out first. That’s why the best free fighting games can be so appealing.

A free fighting game means you can try out the characters, work at perfecting your mechanics, and more without paying anything.

Tons of games embrace a free-to-play model now. Even some of the best fighting games overall happen to be free. If you’re looking to get into fighters without a big cost initially, these free fighting games are the perfect place to start.

Best Free Fighting Games

5. MultiVersus

MultiVersus might not be in the best shape anymore, but it’s still worth a callout as one of the best free fighting games. The game combined various Warner Bros properties for a Smash-style fighter, with some mechanics and great feeling characters.

Unfortunately, the game is currently in a bit of a read-only state. You can play offline matches, but updates are paused until the game returns in 2024. At the moment, it’s a subpar experience, but if you click with it then it might be worth grinding to get good at the title before it returns next year.

4. Ultra Fighter Da! Kyanta 2

Ultimate Fighting Da is a free fighter that’s grown a cult following since its release. Its graphics might look a bit rough, but mechanically it’s a really fun title to jump into. It’s a 2D fighter with hand-drawn characters. It utilizes a 2D format, but manages to avoid all of the special move input bloat that’s hit a lot of the major fighting games Everything is accessible from simple button presses, which makes the title a lot easier to jump into. It’s one of the best free fighting games.

3. Fantasy Strike

Fantasy Strike is a 2D fighter available across loads of platforms which some unique features. It’s a fighter built to be accessible. Being able to play at a decent level won’t require you to learn tons of jargon from a fighting game glossary. The title tries to keep the game at a reachable level. Fantasy Strike’s main cast is a group of archetypes with powers to control elements, time, ghosts, each has a unique mechanic you can use. It’s one of the best free fighting games, especially if you’re looking for a more traditional 2D fighter that isn’t super difficult to get into.

2. Rushdown Revolt

Rushdown Revolt is a more recent addition to the best free fighting games. This title has only recently come out but already has a cult following since its 1.0 patch.

The title has a unique approach to monetization too. The game is free. However, if you want to experience the next level rollback netcode, it’ll cost you. You can play through the base game and start to master the characters for free though.

1. Brawlhalla

Brawlhalla is one of the best fighting games overall and an easy pick for the best free fighting games. This game has nearly been going ten years and has over 100 million players. It’s available on just about every platform, without much of a downgrade anywhere.

it’s a free platform fighter with a wide cast of characters. These large roster games are perfect for fighting games as they lock a few characters behind a paywall without impacting gameplay too much for free players. If you’re willing to put the time in, it’s also one of the best-funded fighting game esports with events happening year-round. It’s definitely the top free fighting game with the most potential for new players to get into.