Most 2026 Fighting Games Seem to Be Inspired by This 2019 Power Rangers Game

There are some exciting Fighting Games releasing in 2026, from Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls to Invincible Vs. With other games like 2XKO also doing well, the tag team subgenre seems to be the focus of many developers right now, with frenetic multi-character brawls defining many of the hottest titles this year. As 3v3 and even 4v4 experiences are set to create new and exciting fighting games, it’s worth remembering how a title from seven years ago created the DNA of some projects launching now.

As the disappointment surrounding updates to Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8 dominate fighting game conversations right now, it’s easier to look back on successful games from the genre. Oftentimes, the most persistent fighting games are ones that have a strong foundation, with fun core systems that provide innovations to a storied genre. The tag team format established by Marvel vs Capcom is a prime example of this, with unique character squads being the cornerstone of its legendary popularity.

Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid Changed How Tag Team Fighting Games Work Back In 2019

Like Marvel vs Capcom 2 before it, Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid adopts many of the key features from the 3v3 genre, including assists that players can call upon during battle. Matches in Battle for the Grid end when time runs out or all three characters from one team are defeated, but high damage and long combos usually prevent the former from happening. Yet, with all these standard mechanics, Battle for the Grid also made innovations of its own.

Battle for the Grid introduced an active tag system, where players could switch control from one character on their team to another at any point after they had called a second fighter for an assist. This created a complex system where a player could change into another character quickly, either early after they used their assist or right before they jump off the screen after a few moments. By delaying a character swap, players could create more complicated mix-ups against blocking opponents, adding a new layer of offense to the game.

Although a version of this mechanic exists in Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite, its active tag functions differently than Battle for the Grid‘s. Strategic timing of when another player switches their character, if they even do it at all, adds a deliberate style to the tag team gameplay of this title. With a variety of strong characters whose unique skills benefit from this system in different ways, players gained a lot of enjoyment out of exploring this innovative feature.

Incredible Feeling Gameplay & Robust Online Matchmaking Still Make Power Rangers An Excellent Game In The Genre

The active tag system only adds to the fun of Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, with the core game itself being an incredibly exciting fighting game. Every character is a callback from some era of Power Rangers, from the original mighty morphin’ ones who started it all to niche picks and iconic villains. Each character’s playstyle is vastly different from one another, creating a diverse roster with many individual approaches to fighting. Discovering synergy between team members is also fascinating, as you find unique combinations of characters to put together.

It helps that this game has first-in-class rollback netcode, a tool that greatly improves online matchmaking for player vs player battles. Everything in Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid runs smoothly even with poor connections, making it one of the least frustrating fighting games to grind online. While it may not have the greatest graphics or a deeply detailed single-player mode, Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid is still an excellent achievement in the genre.

2026’s Biggest Fighting Games Owe Lots Of Their Inspiration To Battle for the Grid’s Systems

The idea of active tag from Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid has been seen in other tag team fighting games that have come out recently. The most prominent example is 2XKO, which has a team-up option that mimics Battle for the Grid‘s systems almost exactly. While this is optional compared to other strong synergy mechanics, 2XKO‘s fluid swapping between two playable fighters is something that may only exist due to Power Ranger‘s influence.

Similarly, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls and Invincible Vs have features that emulate Battle for the Grid‘s style somewhat. Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls‘ impressive roster is combined with a gameplay system that allows players to swap control to a character who just performed an assist. Like Battle for the Grid, players have a window to do this rather than an immediate choice, adding opportunities for layered offense in the same way as the 2019 game. The 3v3 structure of Invincible Vs has some of the DNA of this in it too, giving players more freedom over their team of characters.

Although they may not be directly inspired, it’s cool to see 2026’s hottest upcoming fighting games adapt a creative system from a game that came out over half a decade ago. For that reason, Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid is a fighting game fans of the genre should try at least once, to see how newer titles have evolved over time.

What do you think of 2026’s fighting games taking ideas from Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!

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