28 Years Ago, One of the Greatest Fighting Game Series in History Began: Guilty Gear

Arcades were full of fighting game fans in the '90s and 2000s. From Marvel vs. Capcom to Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, fans were eager to toss more quarters in the machines to get another round in. However, there was another big fighting game franchise that began 28 years ago, and its newest entry is still going strong today.

Today, May 14, 2026, marks the 28th anniversary of the initial release of Guilty Gear, the beginning of a long-running popular anime-style fighter. The first game in the series introduced 10 fighters and consistent series mechanics, like the Tension gauge.

Guilty Gear has one of the more complicated stories and lore (for fighting games), and follows a story full of war, magic, and, of course, a fighting tournament. A Gear named Testament (who would later make playable appearances, most recently in Guilty Gear Strive) would seek to resurrect their leader, Justice. Sol Badguy and the other fighters entered the tournament to stop them.

The game of Guilty Gear is focused on 1v1 combat, with four different attack buttons: punch, kick, slash, and heavy slash. The first game also introduced the Gatling system, which allowed attacks to be chained into one another.

According to Metacritic, the game does not have a metascore, despite getting a re-release back in 2019 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC. Some users noted that the game is very fun, but is also incredibly challenging, which was a common tactic by fighting game developers for the arcades, in order to get players to spend more money playing the game.

The series is ongoing today, with the most recent release, Guilty Gear Strive, getting a massive 2.0 update back in April, with several more characters still coming to the game as paid DLC.

As of 2024, Guilty Gear Strive has reached more than three million players, making it the most successful game in the long-running series.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 3:44 PM.