Golden Lance Best Fighting Game Category

Fighting games are almost as old as video games themselves. Nothing is more exhilarating than pitting yourself against an opponent in a battle of brawn. Especially during the early days of arcades, fighting games were often the spotlight that grabbed everyone’s attention. Despite an ever-changing video game landscape, fighting games continue to resonate with gamers looking to satiate that one-on-one competitive nature. With that said, here is the winner of Lord of Gaming’s Golden Lance Award for Best Fighting Game of 2025.

Winner – Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves definitely made 100% a crazy comeback that no one expected. The franchise was dormant for a long time, especially for a main entry game. The series has been around for almost 35 years, and to culminate that with City of the Wolves the franchise is being its proper roses. Our very own Lord King David had strong ties to the game back in the Neo Geo days. The console was extremely niche and expensive, catering to fighting game enthusiasts. Fatal Fury due its origins  from the makers of Street Fighters and the similarities are clear, but over time, Fatal Fury has become its own thing and has come a long way. 

With City of the Wolves, it’s clear that SNK is at its peak.The crossover with Street Fighter where Ken and Chun Li joining the roster, and a reappearance of fan-favorite Mr. Big from the first Fatal Fury shows how phenomenal the game is progressing. With the backing of Saudi Arabia, and their backing of Boxing as a sport, Turki Al Sheikh was central to Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves receiving its extensive marketing push. 

The game is a brilliant fighter, with an impeccable combo system with a strong post-launch content to match. Not to mention the dope rollback netcode pitting fighters against one another from around the world. Especially the multiple fight lobbies. Overall it is an incredible game and package and worthy winner of this year’s best fighter.