Fighting games require precision. The difference between winning and losing matches often comes down to split-second decisions. When playing online, a game's netcode can be the difference between having a good time and wanting to break your arcade stick. Fighting game enthusiasts worldwide tend to agree that rollback netcode is the smoothest way to ensure your Shoryukens come out exactly when you need them.
Rollback netcode has been around for a while now, and while the fighting game community is vocal about wanting to play games with rollback, many games still launch with delay-based netcode. Rollback is becoming more popular, though, with more prominent developers beginning to embrace the near-lagless system.
Updated August 18, 2022, by Chris Sanfilippo: Rollback netcode is quickly becoming the genre standard for online fighting games. Its inclusion is a requirement for success for new launches, like MultiVersus, The King Of Fighters 15, and Capcom Fighting Collection. However, due to increased fan demand, several established titles are receiving rollback netcode updates, including Dragon Ball FighterZ, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, Blazblue Cross Tag Battle, and Samurai Shodown.
17 Brawlhalla: Free To Fight
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Brawhalla, the free-to-play 2D platform brawler, has no business being this fun. The game's rollback netcode covers cross-platform play across all major gaming consoles, PC, and Mobile platforms. Unfortunately, while the game is free to download and play, you will have to pay up if you want all the characters and skins.
Furthermore, Brawlhalla is known for its crossover characters, bringing in fighters from WWE, Tomb Raider, The Walking Dead, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The free 2D fighter has a sizeable competitive community and a dedicated fanbase, indicating a bright future ahead.
16 Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite: Tag Team The Competition
The latest installment of the MvC series, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, takes the team-fighting action in a new direction. Capcom moved to make this game more accessible for beginners, opting for a two-on-two format instead of three-on-three fights. Unlike its predecessor, Ultimate MvC3, Infinite features an expanded story mode and a more cinematic art direction.
The game's new elements received praise from critics, but many fans of the series felt it was too big of a departure from what made the team fighter special. Nevertheless, Infinite is a good entry point for players wanting to dip their feet into team fighters or dive into the Capcom Vs. Series, though, and its netcode is brilliant.
15 Killer Instinct (2013): A Classic Rebooted
The 2013 reboot of Killer Instinct is a hallmark for both fighting games and rollback netcode. Killer Instinct's online play sparked a resurgence for the game in 2020. After a few years of no support, the game's netcode brought opportunities for online tournaments during the COVID-19 pandemic and sparked new interest.
After a four-year absence, Killer Instinct returned to EVO in 2020, when the world's largest fighting game tournament moved to an online format. This triumphant return is a shining example of sustainability and growth for a fighting game, primarily due to its rollback netcode.
14 Mortal Kombat 11: Brutally Good Netcode
Mortal Kombat raised the bar for fighting games in the 90s. And now, the series is raising the bar for online play. The developers at NetherRealm Studios saw the benefits of rollback netcode and rebuilt their online platform from the ground up to implement the feature in Mortal Kombat 11.
Mortal Kombat has undergone several makeovers since its inception and was rebooted in 2011 to re-tell the plot from the earlier games. However, through the series' 11 mainline titles and multiple spinoffs, one thing has remained constant: violence. The Ultimate Edition of Mortal Kombat 11 contains the entire roster of characters and all the blood and bone-crunching Fatalities to match.
13 Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection: Old School Games, New School Features
While rollback netcode has only been around since 2008, some developers are taking the opportunity to implement it in older games. For example, Street Fighter is arguably the most beloved fighting game franchise of all time, with a history of powerful characters. So, Capcom opted to give their backlog the rollback treatment when releasing the 30th Anniversary Collection.
If you want to play some old-school 2D fighters online, this collection of games is a great option. The compilation includes 12 titles (13 if you get the Nintendo Switch version), spanning from the 1987 original to Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike.
12 Capcom Fighting Collection: 90s Arcade Nostalgia, Now With Rollback Netcode
Capcom has done a stellar job at game preservation in the past few years. For instance, there's Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, the Capcom Beat-em Up Bundle, and two Capcom Arcade Stadium collections. However, Capcom Fighting Collection, which compiled the company's lesser-known fighting gems of the nineties and early oughts, brought the company's preservation initiative to new heights.
All ten games in CFM tout online play with rollback netcode. Even more impressive is that some of the collection's titles, like Red Earth, are experiencing their first-ever console launch. However, the collection's stand-out online feature is its matchmaking system, allowing players to choose which of the ten games they wish to search for simultaneously.
11 Power Rangers: Battle For The Grid: Easy To Pick Up, Hard To Master
One of the most accessible fighting games today is Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid. The title has a beginner-friendly entry point but enough depth to keep dedicated competitors returning for more. Battle for the Grid has rollback netcode and boasts cross-platform play between major consoles and Google Stadia. This team fighter allows you to pick up to three heroes or villains from the Power Rangers universe and take on players from across the world without the lag associated with delay-based netcode.
Developer nWay released the game to mixed reviews but has listened to players and continues to improve the game by regularly adding new characters, mechanics, and bug fixes. In addition, the game's Super Edition saw a significant crossover, adding Street Fighter's Chun Li and Ryu to the Morphin Grid.
10 Dragon Ball FighterZ: Our Netcode Wishes Granted
Battle For The Grid was not the only three-on-three fighter to make waves in this console generation. On the contrary, players missing the hectic three-on-three tag battles of MvC past will delight in Dragon Ball FighterZ, one of the fastest, most hectic, and source-specific anime fighters out there.
With such a strong reputation in the fighting game community, it was only a matter of time before DBFZ adopted a rollback netcode. So, at EVO 2022, Bandai Namco announced the sought-after upgrade on the game's PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC ports. Unfortunately, the updated netcode will not appear on current-gen console versions of the game. Although, owners of these versions can upgrade to the next-gen port for free.
9 Skullgirls: Sleek, Stylish Indie Brawling
Independent developers were the first to implement rollback netcode successfully. For instance, Skullgirls is an indie fighting game that brilliantly blends fast-paced 2D team fighting action with smooth online play. Casual fans are attracted to the game for its fluid animation and unique aesthetic, but it's also more than technical enough to satisfy competitive fighting game fans.
The game stands the test of time, with multiple re-releases and new content launching. Skullgirls was a last-minute addition to the main lineup of EVO 2021, giving the game another chance to shine among the world's best active fighting games.
8 Persona 4 Arena Ultimax: Return To The Midnight Channel
Persona 4 is one of the most beloved entries in the long-running Shin Megami Tensei spinoff series. In turn, this title churned out multiple spinoffs itself. These games include a rhythm title, multiple Persona Q RPGs, and the acclaimed Persona 4 Arena fighting game. Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is an updated version of the original title, which first launched on consoles in 2014.
In March 2022, to honor Persona's 25th Anniversary, Atlus re-launched ports of P4AU on PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Later, in August of the same year, Atlus launched a rollback netcode update for the PC and PS4 versions of the current re-release.
7 Blazblue Cross Tag Battle: Multi-Dimensional Netcode
Arc System Works is responsible for many of the most notable anime fighters, including Guilty Gear, BlazBlue, Under Night In-Birth, and more. And with so many IPs under their belt, a crossover event had to happen at some point. Enter BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle, which includes characters from BlazBlue, UNIB, Persona 4 Arena, the television series RWBY, and more!
BBTAG launched its rollback netcode in April 2022 on PS4 and PC. However, this significant update will not come to the Nintendo Switch port of the game.
6 Samurai Shodown (2019): Rollback Netcode Centuries In The Making
In a landscape of flashy, combo-oriented fighting games, Samurai Shodown stands out due to its diligent pacing and high-damage attacks. The series reboot in 2019 further cemented Shodown's reputation with game mechanics encouraging tense mind games and complex strategy. Therefore, the lag of delay-based netcode does not serve the game's mechanics well.
Luckily, SNK announced at EVO 2022 that the Playstation, Xbox, and PC versions of Samurai Shodown will receive a rollback netcode update in the Spring of 2023.
5 The King Of Fighters 15: SNK's Hottest Tournament Is (Roll)Back!
The King Of Fighters 15 is one of the series' most substantial offerings in the modern console era, representing a solid comeback for many of SNK's fighting franchises. Its predecessor, KOF 14, was the series' first 3D outing (besides the Maximum Impact series). Unfortunately, while this title had solid gameplay and a robust roster, it lacked the visual accouterment of its next-gen peers.
Fortunately, KOF15 proved the series found its footing in the next-gen landscape. The game's visuals have the lushest character and stage designs since its 2D era. Plus, while this entry's single-player content is slim, its online game modes are abundant, including Ranked and Casual Matches, plus the new Draft Vs. Mode!
4 Street Fighter 5: The Answer Lies In The Heart Of Battle
Street Fighter is considered by many the grandfather of fighting games, and the franchise's latest entry embraces rollback netcode. Unfortunately, Capcom developed an in-house form of rollback for Street Fighter 5, and it got off to a rocky start. Upon release, it had some server issues and would later need to have its rollback code updated.
Fortunately, SF5 improved with every update, and the roster is up to forty characters from the sixteen available at launch. Additionally, the game's learning curve is not as steep as other Street Fighter titles, making it a good place for new players to start before diving into other games in the Street Fighter series.
3 Super Smash Bros. Melee: Netcode From The Community
Sometimes a community's desire to play a fighting game online reaches a point where the players get in on the development side of things. Super Smash Bros. Melee is a decades-old game that still boasts a sizeable competitive community. Project Slippi is an ongoing project that serves up rollback netcode and a few other features for the fan-favorite platform fighter.
Slippi brought rollback to Melee in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and became the premier way to play the game online. This upgrade brought about another competitive revival for the 2001 Nintendo GameCube game.
2 MultiVersus: Zoinks, Scoob! This Game Has Rollback Netcode!
Crossover platform-fighters are a familiar genre these days. After all, the Super Smash Bros series is a household name. Plus, various copycats have sought to emulate that Nintendo Dream Match magic, like the ill-fated Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale. However, no fighter expands these crossover possibilities like MultiVersus, whose only stipulation for its characters is that they're from a WanerMedia IP.
However, this arena fighter offers much more appeal beyond the novelty of seeing who would win in a fight between Scooby Doo's Shaggy and Superman (Although the clear answer is Shaggy, the all-powerful). MultiVersus includes robust checks and balances that encourage players to get creative with strategy or suffer the consequences. As a result, the game is an excellent title for friendly exhibitions and tense, competitive fighting.
1 Guilty Gear Strive: Heavy Metal Fighting
Guilty Gear Strive is one of the most popular fighting games on the planet. The series is known for its anime-inspired visuals and heavy metal-inspired soundtrack. However, Strive's rollback netcode carries the series to new heights at a time when online play is more important than ever.
Strive's mid-2021 launch came when many fighting game developers stopped supporting their latest titles in favor of working on future projects. This absence of new content allowed the latest Guilty Gear entry to bring some excitement to the community. As a result, Strive represents an excellent opportunity for new players to get in on the ground floor of something special.