2024 Game of the Year Awards — Genre Awards

This year had a lack of heavy hitters. The Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat year came and went and what we will have for the next few years are the rest of the Japanese fighters and indie titles. Fighting games have really taken a backseat outside of the usual contenders. No longer is the market flooded with a bunch of experimental fighting games that do well. Hopefully, one day, the world will grow to like fighters a bit more outside of the only AAA franchises that have ever existed for the last 2-3 decades.

Tekken 8

Tekken 8 may seem like an easy win or a no-brainer, but the series is always solid and rarely falters. Usually only when competing against another AAA fighting game does Tekken ever face any real challenge, but being the only big budget fighting game this year gave the game room to breathe. It is easily the best game in the series with a huge visual upgrade and a more visceral feeling fighting engine. The extra content, new characters, and large roster are something that any fighting game fan would want.