Beat ’em up games once ruled arcades, defined by simple controls, satisfying combos, and street-brawling co-op fun. While the genre faded from the spotlight, it has quietly evolved—blending classic melee combat with cinematic storytelling, RPG progression, and fluid modern systems. Today’s titles span gritty revenge tales, undercover crime dramas, cyberpunk gun-fu, superhero brawls, and nostalgic throwbacks, some staying true to arcade roots while others fuse in open-world exploration or roguelike mechanics. This piece rounds up the most exciting upcoming beat ’em up games in development, offering something for fans craving brutal combat, co-op adventures, or stylish cinematic action.
1. Stranger Than Heaven
Stranger Than Heaven, formerly known as Project Century, is RGG Studio’s next entry in the Like a Dragon universe. Set across five different eras — 1915 through 1965 — and five Japanese cities, it follows Makoto Daito, a Japanese-American outcast who stows away to Japan and becomes entangled in the criminal underworld over five decades. It’s a distant prequel exploring the origins of the Tojo Clan, blending brawler combat with the studio’s signature cinematic storytelling and a star-studded cast, including a posthumous appearance from Tupac Shakur.
Why play it: RGG Studio’s proven mix of brutal street combat and heartfelt drama, a genuinely ambitious multi-era narrative structure, and day-one availability on Xbox Game Pass make this a strong pick for fans of character-driven action.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Release Date | January 15, 2027 |
| Platforms | PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox Series X/S |
| Genre | Action-adventure |
| Co-op | None (single-player) |
| Developer | RGG Studio |
| Publisher | Sega |
2. Acts of Blood
Acts of Blood is a brutal third-person beat ’em up game set in the dystopian city of Bandung, Indonesia. Players control Hendra, a law student whose family is murdered by his father’s business rival; finding no justice through legal channels, he takes up melee weapons and firearms to dismantle the criminal network responsible. The game leans into visceral, dynamic combat with fluid attack chains, blocks, counters, and destructible environments that let you turn furniture into weapons.
Why play it: if you want unapologetically violent, combo-driven combat with a revenge story and destructible arenas that reward creative brutality, this indie brawler delivers a focused, hard-hitting experience without any fluff.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Release Date | Q3 2026 (Summer 2026) |
| Platforms | PC (Steam) |
| Genre | Beat ’em up / Action |
| Co-op | None (single-player) |
| Developer | Eksil Team |
| Publisher | Eksil Team |
3. Marvel’s Wolverine
From the studio behind the Marvel’s Spider-Man series, Marvel’s Wolverine puts players in the claws of Logan as he’s pulled back into the mutant task force Team X to save mutants being kidnapped by Bolivar Trask. Insomniac promises “the ultimate Wolverine fantasy” — a grittier, more mature tone than its Spider-Man games, with grisly, healing-factor-fueled combat, a Rage meter for unleashing berserker fury, and a journey spanning Canada, Japan, and Madripoor.
Why play it: Insomniac’s track record for polished, cinematic action makes this one of the most anticipated PS5 exclusives around, and the shift to a darker, more savage combat style is a genuinely fresh direction for the studio.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Release Date | September 15, 2026 |
| Platforms | PlayStation 5 (exclusive) |
| Genre | Action-adventure |
| Co-op | None (single-player) |
| Developer | Insomniac Games |
| Publisher | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
4. Tenjutsu
Tenjutsu is a “rogue-jutsu” from Sébastien Benard, the designer behind Dead Cells, and publisher Devolver Digital. Players take on a renegade yakuza fighting to break the grip of four crime syndicates ruling the Secret Garden City, using a fast, brutal melee combat system where fights against multiple enemies demand constant split-second decisions. Bosses can be tackled in any order, with each defeat reshaping the city and unlocking new shops, shortcuts, and progression paths for future runs.
Why play it: if you loved Dead Cells’ addictive run structure, Tenjutsu swaps platforming for tight, John Wick-style hand-to-hand combat and a genuinely flexible, player-directed path through its world.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Release Date | TBA 2026 |
| Platforms | PC (also planned for PS5) |
| Genre | Action roguelike / Beat ’em up |
| Co-op | None (single-player) |
| Developer | Deepnight Games |
| Publisher | Devolver Digital |
5. Spine: This Is Gun Fu
Spine casts players as Redline, a rebellious graffiti artist in the AI-controlled Tensor City, who teams up with a sentient cybernetic implant called Spine to rescue her captured brother. Combat fuses close-quarters martial arts with gunplay through Nekki’s “Freeflow Gun Fu” system, choreographed with action-movie stunt specialists and built around directional attacks, parries, dodges, and full player control throughout cinematic encounters.
Why play it: its Batman-meets-Sifu combat style, cyberpunk atmosphere, and genuinely cinematic camera direction make it one of the most stylish action games on the horizon, especially for fans of stylish, crowd-control brawling.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Release Date | Summer 2027 |
| Platforms | PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox Series X/S (Switch 2 version to follow) |
| Genre | Action-adventure / Beat ’em up |
| Co-op | None (single-player) |
| Developer | Nekki |
| Publisher | Nekki |
6. Blackwood
Blackwood is a cinematic third-person action thriller set in a richly recreated 2012 New York. By day, protagonist Anton Blackwood runs a small DVD store in Brooklyn; by night, he’s a contract killer navigating a dangerous criminal underworld. The game blends grounded melee combat, responsive gunplay, and brutal contextual takedowns with a narrative-driven structure, and its first act launches with the promise that the following two acts will be delivered free to buyers.
Why play it: the double-life premise and period setting give it a distinct noir identity, and getting a complete three-act story for the price of one act is an appealing value proposition for narrative-focused action fans.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Release Date | September 16, 2026 |
| Platforms | PC (Steam) |
| Genre | Action-adventure / Third-person shooter |
| Co-op | None (single-player) |
| Developer | AttritoM7 Productions |
| Publisher | IZilla Games, AttritoM7 Productions |
7. The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival
A retro, arcade-style side-scrolling beat ’em up game set during the show’s All Out War storyline, Streets of Survival lets players fight as Rick Grimes, Michonne, and Daryl Dixon (with Negan unlockable) through walker hordes and Savior forces across locations like Alexandria and the Sanctuary. Combat mixes melee combos, ranged attacks, special moves, and multi-stage boss fights against iconic characters like Negan and Simon, with adjustable difficulty including an Easy Mode for story-focused players.
Why play it: it’s a nostalgic throwback to classic arcade brawlers for TV series fans wanting to relive the show’s most intense arc, with recognizable characters and bosses pulled straight from the source material.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Release Date | September 18, 2026 |
| Platforms | PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 |
| Genre | Beat ’em up |
| Co-op | None (single-player) |
| Developer | Odaclick Game Studio |
| Publisher | Trailmark Games |
8. Last Ditch Effort
Last Ditch Effort is a narrative-driven, pixel-art character-action game set in a grimdark world consumed by endless war. Players control Igor Emmerich, “the last Einherjar of a fallen order,” who hunts his own master in search of a gate where any wish can be granted at a heavy price. The game features hand-drawn comic-panel storytelling, branching outcomes with multiple endings, and frame-by-frame animation built for fast, heavy, tweening-free combat, drawing inspiration from Platinum Games, Nier: Automata, and Sin City.
Why play it: its striking pixel-art visuals paired with genuinely branching narrative consequences make it stand out among 2D brawlers, appealing to fans of stylish, story-heavy action like Katana Zero.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Release Date | 2027 |
| Platforms | PC (Steam) |
| Genre | Action / Hack and slash |
| Co-op | None (single-player) |
| Developer | Moonwell Games |
| Publisher | Trellis Inc. |
9. Elta: Defy All Gods
Elta: Defy All Gods is a science-fantasy action-platformer from Afterburner Studios, the team behind Dreamscaper. Players control Victus, an elite warrior monk stranded on a hostile planet while searching for their lost god, Elta, whose power could chart a path forward for their people. Combat blends free-form melee across three martial art stances with magical abilities and anime-inspired finishers, while traversal mixes double jumps, air dashes, and wall runs across three sprawling, secret-filled worlds.
Why play it: the combination of weighty, stance-based combat and metroidvania-style exploration offers a fresh spin on the action-platformer genre, and a free public demo lets you try before committing.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Release Date | Early 2027 |
| Platforms | PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox Series X/S |
| Genre | Action-platformer |
| Co-op | None (single-player) |
| Developer | Afterburner Studios |
| Publisher | Focus Entertainment |
10. Takeover 2
Takeover 2 is the sequel to 2019’s The Takeover, a hard-hitting arcade-style beat ’em up game with fully overhauled visuals and combat. Players can weaponize almost anything in the environment — buckets, cones, tires — while managing crowds with a varied weapon arsenal. Beyond the main Arcade Mode campaign, it includes a Challenge Mode with performance-based star ratings, plus bonus minigames like a fighter-jet survival mode and a retro-style racer.
Why play it: unlike most games on this list, Takeover 2 is built for co-op — grab a second player for local or Remote Play Together brawling, making it the standout pick here for playing together with a friend.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Release Date | September 10, 2026 |
| Platforms | PC (Steam) |
| Genre | Beat ’em up |
| Co-op | 2 players (local co-op + Remote Play Together) |
| Developer | Pelikan13 |
| Publisher | Pelikan13 |
