The 21 Best Mobile Fighting Games

Key Takeaways

• Mobile fighting games now support online play and native controller support, making competitive play easier on the go.
• Mobile fighters offer unique mechanics and characters, like Sinag’s Filipino mythology figures and Dual Souls’ combo-heavy gameplay.
• 1v1 battles, arcade-style experiences, and solid mechanics in games like Footsies Rollback Edition and Wrestling Empire make them worth trying.

Fighting games require precision, concentration, and lots of training, ideally with a group. And if there’s anything that mobile gaming isn’t great at, is precision, concentration, and playing in groups. Gamepads and solo playing solved the first two issues, while online play nowadays is often just as good as local multiplayer.

Mobile fighting games have accepted that Mortal Kombat Mobile game nights just aren’t going to happen, so it’s no surprise if the entire genre supports online play. Most also have native controller support, and sometimes they even have great touch controls. And while a phone’s specs aren’t those of a modern console, fighting games aren’t usually very demanding and look great on mobile.

Updated September 5, 2024, by Rie Takumi: Mobile fighting games have made great strides in stabilizing connections for PvP combat. Single and PvP games are also better optimized to avoid excessive overheating and run well regardless of the OS. Gaming peripherals like fight sticks, gamepads, and anti-slip gloves are also coming out for mobile fighters to play better. As such, it’s easier to play fighting games competitively even on mobile. 5G and Wi-Fi 6, plus better netcode, also mean connections for online PvP matches are steadier and more competitive. Although all the competitive action is on consoles and PC, mobile fighting games are still a fun way to lab techniques on the go.

22 Sinag

Simple & Quick Button Masher With Filipino Characters

Made by a small studio, Sinag is a solid mobile fighting game that uses creatures and figures from Filipino mythology. Developer Ranida Games teamed up with the Cultural Center of the Philippines to create lore-representative characters, such as Alixon, the personification of a local deity.

As a 1-on-1 fighting game, Sinag is great for quick bouts. Common mechanics like comebacks and airdashes are present, along with unique implementations of Agility and Revenge. Agility is expended on air dashes, combo extenders, rolls, and reversals. On the other hand, maxed out Revenge leads to Vengeance Strikes, which can be dash canceled to extend comebacks.

21 Samurai Shodown 2

Classic Fighting Game With Faithfully Difficult AI

Although there was a 2019 reboot of the franchise, Samurai Shodown II was popular enough to still have updates up to 2022. That’s partly thanks to nostalgia, and half due to SNK’s faithful port of the cult classic. Specifically, Samurai Shodown’s difficulty is as brutal as it was on arcade cabinets.

Fans are split on this in the reviews. Yet those who appreciate the difficulty are quick to point out that it has a great training mode to offset the touchscreen controls. The samurai fighting game is a solid choice for fans looking for something to chew on while commuting.

20 Dual Souls: The Last Bearer

Striking Character Designs In Mixed-Fantasy 1-on-1 Brawler

Dual Souls: The Last Bearer only has four buttons: slash, big slash, kick, and power. But the weapon-based fighter makes the most of these buttons for combo-heavy bouts. Reminiscent of Samurai Showdown and Guilty Gear, players need to stay on their toes to parry, clash, and capitalize on fumbles.

What’s more, Dual Souls has rollback netcode, which helps mobile players tremendously as they can rely on immediate input even when they’re on wifi. It’s also relatively easy for beginners to get into despite experts hopping on for a spell.

19 Mortal Kombat: Onslaught

Team-Focused Mortal Kombat Title With Gruesome Fatalities

Mortal Kombat: Onslaught offers a team-based experience instead of a straightforward one-on-one fighter. Players assemble teams of Kombatants who unleash skills via tactical RPG-like mechanics. Kombatants have Body, Mind, or Spirit Affinities that work in a rock-paper-scissor system that would give them a leg up on the enemy.

Minions work as cannon fodder for four- to five-star characters that have natural stat advantages. Kombatants are also split among classes and can equip gear and relics to improve their chances against enemy waves.

18 Flash Party

Vibrant & Cute Platform Fighter With Fun Character Designs

Flash Party has surprisingly deep mechanics for a mobile platform game. Ranked players in particular get technical about class advantages and mastering at least three characters upon reaching platinum. Most fighting game fans may want to reach that rank to really get into the game.

But even unranked, Flash Party still has a lot of fun things going for it. With a vivid color palette, clever backgrounds, and diverse character styles, it’s a great game to look at while jumping around. Basic combat is also intuitive and possible to master in minutes.

17 One Punch Man World

Great Animation And Fun Mechanics

Unlike One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows, One Punch Man World lets players fight as Saitama—at least, in the dream world, and as his non-bald, job-hunting version. His attacks, and that of the cast, are in character and gorgeously animated even on mobile. The button layout, clear UI, and wide movement range also make combos easy to string together.

The characters and animation definitely steal the show for this One Punch fighting game. King’s fight sequence in particular is often cited because of how it interpreted his lack of abilities, fighting power, and Saitama’s intervention.

16 Tough Love Arena

Web-Based Indie Fighting Game With Rollback Netcode

Tough Love Arena is a 2D indie fighting game with a unique art style and a passionate community. The game has simple art and few characters, but development is ongoing and content is growing rapidly.

Characters in Tough Love Arena are made of simple lines and single colors that make them easy to read even on small devices. Meanwhile, the streamlined controls help level the playing field between those with and without a controller. What’s more, Tough Love Arena is a web game and not an app, making it playable both on PC and mobile.

15 The King Of Fighters ‘98

Classic KoF Action On Mobile Platforms

Thanks to SNK’s strategy of dumping their entire library on mobile stores, The King of Fighters ’98 is now sold for dirt cheap on Android and iOS. The historic fighting game is broadly considered the best of the original run, a consolidation of everything that worked in pre‑2000 SNK fighting games.

There is just one issue: playing The King of Fighters ’98 with touch controls is a nightmare. That also goes for every other SNK fighting game in the store. While a controller does fix the issue, this still highlights the work that goes behind making modern adaptations like Skullgirls or Street Fighter IV CE work perfectly on mobile.

14 BlazBlue RR

Freemium But Solid Translation Of BlazBlue Mechanics To Mobile

Many games on mobile follow a freemium route, which can be pretty disappointing for players who don’t have either the time or money to invest in these titles and see a decent payoff. When BlazBlue RR rolled out, many people hated this game outright for being way too intrusive with its in-app purchases, something that it deserves flack for.

However, people who managed to look past this roadblock would find a fighting game with solid mechanics that can keep players entertained for hours on end. The grind can be unreal at times, but the fighting mechanics are solid and the art style is a thing of beauty.

13 Garou: Mark of the Wolves

New Mechanics From The 90’s Still Fresh And Intuitive

An oldie but goodie, Garou: Mark of the Wolves is still played enough to have events and even rollback netcode. It has the same nostalgic SNK look on mobile as it had in the late 90s, though its controls have been mercifully minimized to suit phones.

Aside from being a Fatal Fury title, Garou introduces the T.O.P. System, JUST DEFENSE, and BREAKING mechanics. These mechanics aim to refresh gameplay and introduce more complexity to the Fatal Fury formula. The mobile port also has SP and FM special buttons, which give access to Special and Desperation Moves.

12 Bloody Bastards

One-of-a-Kind Physics-Based Medieval Fighting Game

Reminiscent of physics-based games, Bloody Bastards makes dismemberment a deliberate action. To dismember opponents, players use their thumbs to swing their warriors’ left and right arms. Every warrior wields different weapons, from maces and half-shields, to dual swords, double-handed spears, and more.

Parrying blows and sneaking shots through swings can damage opponents. Critical hits can even sever limbs or bloody heads, and every weapon has a different way of damaging enemies. While practicing offline isn’t an option, players can easily find matches online.

11 Brawlhalla

Platform Brawler Hosts Up To 8 Players

Brawlhalla is a free-to-play fighting game that’s part platformer and part Super Smash Bros. Up to 8 players can play in the same match, using over 50 different characters in many different game modes. Unlike most other fighting games, the mobile version is a straight port of the original and not a simplified adaptation.

Even if the mobile version of Brawlhalla is excellent, its weak points explain why other studios don’t just port their fighting games over to phones. Brawlhalla with touch controls is functional, but players who don’t use a gamepad are at an extreme disadvantage over others. The mandatory cross‑play with PC and console obviously makes things worse.

10 Wrestling Empire

Popular Off-Brand Wrestling Game Available On Multiple Platforms

Wrestling fans who want a simple, arcade-style wrestling game will find a great fix in Wrestling Empire. No two career runs are ever the same thanks to how many ways a career can go. Players can die in-ring, hop from promotion to promotion, make money by being a jobber, or have a legendary championship career.

The game also has plenty of customization for fans who want to play dolls with their virtual wrestlers. Community mods, 350 pre-made wrestlers, dozens of modes, and a territorial booking mode makes the game a fun distraction on the go.

9 Street Fighter 4 CE

One Of The Best Mobile Fighting Game Adaptations

Street Fighter 4 Championship Edition is one of the best mobile fighting game adaptations. Just like Skullgirls mobile, Street Fighter 4 CE streamlines the classic fighter just enough to make touchscreen play possible and even competitive. At its core, that is what makes this 2018 port of the 2008 game the best mobile fighting game to date.

Players should know that the Android and iOS versions of Street Fighter 4 CE are slightly different, with iOS coming out on top as Android lacks the single-player mode. Still, 1v1 battles are what matters most, and they are the same across platforms.

8 The King Of Fighters ALLSTAR

Brawler-Style Fighting Game With 3D Graphics

The King of Fighters AllStar is the made-for-mobile adaptation of SNK’s historic fighting game series. The game is a treat for any fan of the series, as it includes every fighter since the originalKing of Fighters ’94 and up to 2016’s fourteenth installment.

The gameplay of The King of Fighters AllStar is inevitably simplistic, at least when compared to mainline King of Fighters games. Still, the 1v1 matches as well as the beat’ em sections are some of the most polished in the mobile market. Taking out combos in favor of single buttons is one particularly brilliant change in porting the series to mobile.

7 Mortal Kombat Mobile

Mobile Fighting Game With Gacha Mechanics

Mortal Kombat is one of the biggest names in fighting games. And like other big names in fighting games, Mortal Kombat Mobile didn’t enter the mobile market with great success. Some fans still enjoy Mortal Kombat Mobile for its presentation, the style of the animations, or as the easiest way to play some MK on the go. Whichever it is, the magic doesn’t usually last long.

Mortal Kombat Mobile is pretty much a gacha game with a fighting game theme. It’s certainly an enjoyable button masher, but it goes no further than that. What’s worse, it takes on this unenviable task with some wonky monetization and a community that seems to have jumped ship right around the release date.

6 EA Sports UFC Mobile 2

Updates Still Active For Classic MMA Mobile Game

Still updated years after its launch, EA Sports UFC Mobile 2 brings MMA to smaller screens. The game plays more like an arcade MMA fighter than a technical fighter, which is great news for a quick MMA fix. Striking is as easy as tapping and swiping. On the other hand, the same movements put players on defense.

Using a Showstopper unleashes an unblockable move on the other fighter. While waiting for the Showstopper meter to fill up, players can use the same kind of strike to create combos. Players can even weave Showstoppers at the end of their combo for ultimate damage.

5 Vita Fighters

Mobile Fighting Game Best Experienced With Bluetooth Controller

Vita Fighters is a low-poly, mobile-first fighting game that’s chock-full of video game references. Even if it’s hardly the most original game in stores, this is a solid 2D fighting game. It’s also completely free, offering over 20 characters and both single-player and multiplayer modes.

Vita Fighters has intuitive controls that emulate a traditional gamepad. Still, players interested in this fighting game would do well to invest in a Bluetooth controller compatible with their phones. Like most games in the genre, Vita Fighters supports Bluetooth controls natively.

As the name implies, Footsies is all about footsies. Invading the opponent’s space, getting a full move in or chip damage, blocking or punishing whiff damage are all a part of Footsies. Its CPU is even designed to teach these concepts to fighting game beginners.

Although it looks simplistic, the fact that it revolves around footsies means advanced players find joy in it. After all, mastering footsies is essential for getting better at fighting games. Footsies also has rollback netcode, which makes it work better online than some triple-A fighting games.

3 Injustice: Gods Among Us

Casual Free-To-Play Game For DC Fans

Make no mistake, Injustice: Gods Among Us is not the same game sold on PC and consoles. The truth is, this is not even a real fighting game. Still, chances are that fans of fighting games will like this casual free-to-play button masher. As far as mindless fighting goes, this mobile version of Injustice is great fun.

Injustice: Gods Among Us is transparently a DC fan’s game. If nothing else, the price of some of those characters makes it abundantly clear. Even if unlocks are mostly paid, playing without spending any money is completely doable.