Gameplay Group InternationalTwelve years after the ending of The Legend of Korra, the Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise is experiencing a bit of a renaissance. The Netflix live-action TV series, regardless of the divisive reaction from critics and fans, has already been renewed for two additional seasons, with Season 2 arriving later this year. If a retread of the original story isn’t what you’re looking for, however, fear not; this year marks the release of Avatar: Aang, The Last Airbender, the franchise’s first feature film, while 2027 will finally bring the long-awaited third series of the show, Avatar: Seven Havens.Between the huge wave of nostalgic attention the series received when it dropped on Netflix in 2020, the formation of Nickelodeon’s Avatar Studios the following year, and the franchise hitting its 20-year milestone last year, the Avatar community has only continued to grow, and that necessitates fresh material. Not only do fans have a new film and show to look forward to, but this year we’re also getting an overdue first: a fighting game set in the world of Avatar.Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game is an upcoming 2v2 brawler developed by The Gameplay Group, a development team responsible for acquiring and renewing support for Diesel Legacy: The Brazen Age (a dieselpunk western fighter) and Them’s Fighting Herds (a fighting game where players control woodland animals). Instead of pushing for three-dimensional gameplay or hyper-realism, Avatar Legends is translating the show’s animation style and preserving the retro, 2D playstyle that countless fighting games, from Mortal Kombat to Marvel vs. Capcom, have used.Given that it’s received nine console games over the span of 20 years, it’s remarkable that Avatar has never received a proper fighting game, especially since it’s a franchise where the entire conceit lends itself so well to the genre’s varied playstyles. No two characters will play exactly the same (the game is set to launch with 12) — both Korra and Aang are playable, but it’s obvious from the glimpses of gameplay we have that they’ll use their mastery of all four elements in different ways, with Korra perhaps being a slower, heavier hitter. There’s so much potential for creative variation among the roster, especially considering playable characters who aren’t capable of bending, like Sokka.He might be at a bit of a disadvantage but he certainly won’t show it. | Gameplay Group InternationalThere’s also a story mode, and considering the game’s roster features characters separated by the ATLA timeline, it’s a safe bet to assume that the story will probably adapt the linear plot of the TV shows. There’s also the possibility that the game will be a non-canon remix of the franchise’s timeline, offering a time-traveling or alternate-universe excuse to pit characters who never interacted, like Azula and Korra, against each other. The Gameplay Group has the freedom to do something unique with their approach to the franchise’s lore, just as long as the final product is a game that marries the conventions of fighting games with those elements that have made Avatar such a long-standing and beloved property.Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game will be released July 2, 2026, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch 1 and 2, and Steam.