7 Perfect Gifts for the Fighting Game Fan in Your Life
Fighting games are having a hallmark year in 2023. With the release of blockbuster hits like Mortal Kombat 1 and Street Fighter 6, there’s plenty to be excited about in the FGC. But the holiday season is upon us and perhaps you’ve got someone in your life that’s no stranger to Shoryuken or two. So here’s a look at some really awesome gift ideas that the FGC fan in your life will be sure to appreciate.
Razer Kitsune
Razer
The leverless controller is one of the hottest trends in the FGC right now. Popularized by the Hitbox brand, these bad boys replace your traditional arcade stick or d-pad with directional buttons. Folks who grew up playing games on keyboards might actually find leverless sticks more familiar.
The Kitsune is a top-of-the-line leverless that combines a slim profile with optical buttons, making it easy to take to your local throwdown. One downside is that it is pricey. Be prepared to shell out upwards of $300 for the Kitsune. But if your loved one is serious about fighting games, there are very few leverless options out there that are better.
$299 at Razer
Street Fighter 6
Listen, if you’re into fighting games you probably already own a copy of SF6. But with this iteration of the 30+ year-old franchise, Capcom has made one of the most beginner-friendly fighting games ever. New control schemes, a ranking system that makes sense, and a decent-sized single-player campaign all make this a great game for newcomers to the FGC. So slide a code over to your friends slacking on getting into a fighting game and teach them the art of battle with a copy of SF6.
$43.72 at Amazon (PS5 disc version)
$59.99 at Steam (PC Version)
Qanba Drone 2
Qanba
If you’re looking for something more traditional and significantly cheaper than the Kitsune then the Qanba Drone 2 is a great option. Using a more classic set up the Drone 2 is lauded as one of the best starter sticks on the market. So for teens or folks just tooling around with arcade-style sticks, the Drone 2 is a great option that doesn’t break the bank.
Ten/0 Destroyed May T-Shirt
Ten/O
Guilty Gear: Strive hit the scene in 2022 and quickly became one of the most popular fighting games out there. But for those who have been fans of the series for years, the Instant Kill mechanic was one of the more amusing aspects of Guilty Gear.
This tee isn’t just cool to look at, it's a call back to the more cult classic status of Guilty Gear as a whole. So for the more fashion-forward fight fan in your life, this might be a great pick-up. Especially if they’ve been maining May for a while.
$35.00 at Ten/0 (limited quantities)
Tekken 8
Bandai Namco
While this won’t hit the store shelves in time for Kris Kringle, Tekken 8 is still one of the most anticipated games in all of the FGC. So it seems like a no-brainer that anyone that loves fighting games needs to have this in their library.
The Will To Keep Winning
A deep cut for the die-hard fighting game fan, Daigo Umehara’s book “The Will To Keep Winning” is a meme unto itself. Penned by one of the greatest fighting game players of all time, competitors are known to cite this book as a means to mentally reset themselves. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see someone yank it out of their back pocket in the middle of a match and glean from its pages. Meme or not, it's one of the only books written by a true blue esports legend, so it's worth a pick-up for that alone.
$16.99 at Amazon
Ten/0 Mishima Jacket
Ten/0
Another one of Ten/0’s fantastic fighting game collection, the Mishima Windbreaker, is the pinnacle of IYKYK. It’s a striking piece of merch that will only get called out by the most devoted Tekken fans. But even beyond that, it’s fly and not terribly expensive. So give this one to the Tekken fan in your life and watch them sport it with pride.
