A franchise built on martial arts that finally becomes a fighting game. Avatar Legends bets on its per-character Flow system, and it lands hard.
Alexandrosse
InsertCoins.press Score
8/10
Verdict
Recommended
Some obvious ideas take years to arrive. Avatar is a whole universe built around martial arts, where each nation is defined by a combat style, where fights are choreographed like the best kung-fu films. In other words, a franchise literally made to become a fighting game. So the real question facing Avatar Legends The Fighting Game isn't whether it should have been made, but how we waited so long. And the good news: the wait was worth it.
Avatar Legends The Fighting Game is a nervous 1v1 fighter published by PM Studios, available since 23 July 2026 on PS5, Switch, Switch 2 and PC, with the Xbox Series version arriving later on 3 September. It stages the franchise's characters in hand-drawn 2D animation, faithful to the series' spirit. The launch roster counts twelve fighters and eight stages, with the expected modes of the genre: story, arcade, local and online versus, training, spectator and art gallery. The beta lit the fuse, to the point that some already crowned it fighting game of the year. So we were eager to check.
The heart of Avatar Legends is its Flow system, and that's where the game justifies its existence. You could describe it as a cousin of Street Fighter 6's Drive System, except it's made unique for each character, which radically transforms the gameplay and the matchups from one fighter to the next. Holding the Flow button lets you automatically dodge most attacks at the cost of chi, offering a resource to constantly manage between defense and aggression. You dash, you evade, you take over through mobility, then you build energy points through skilled play to unleash enhanced specials and cinematic Super Arts. It's fluid, it's legible, and above all it's deep.
What makes it all clever is that Flow isn't a cosmetic layer laid over a generic engine: it redefines each character. A waterbender doesn't play like a firebender, and the system opens genuinely distinct matchups rather than the eternal copy-paste of moves. On top of that comes a support-character system, chosen among three to accompany your fighter, each bringing abilities that enhance different strengths and unlock new strategic options. Rollback netcode and crossplay round out a package built for competition, and the whole delivers a fighting game that respects both the franchise and the genre's codes.
Let's stay measured, because enthusiasm shouldn't hide the limits. Twelve characters at launch is an honest roster but not a lavish one for such a rich franchise, and you quickly spot the absentees you'd have loved to play. It's the fate of modern fighting games, meant to grow through DLC over the seasons, but you have to accept starting with a tight selection and waiting for the rest to see your favorites arrive. Eight stages, likewise, set a correct frame without being generous, and you hope the content keeps pace with the hype.
The other reservation is the genre's demand. Avatar Legends owns its depth, and its Flow system, however brilliant, requires real investment to be exploited. The series fan who came for their favorite characters may hit a steeper learning curve than expected, where the competitive side will delight fighting-game regulars. It's a game that rewards work, not button-mashing, and you should know that before diving in. Nothing dealbreaking, but an entry door a little higher than its mainstream dressing suggests.
Avatar Legends The Fighting Game succeeds at what we expected of it: turning a franchise tailor-made for fighting into a real fighting game that holds up. Its Flow system, unique per character, is an idea as clever as it is rare, able to give each fighter a real identity and matchups that matter. Carried by superb hand-drawn 2D animation, solid rollback netcode and a genuine care for depth, it's a title that respects both its fans and the genre's demands. You come away with a single thought: it was about time, and it was worth the wait.
You just have to deal with a tight launch roster and a real demand. Twelve characters and eight stages is a solid starting point more than a full buffet, and the system's depth can intimidate the curious who came for the universe more than the competition. But as long as you accept putting in the work, Avatar Legends offers a rich, faithful and fiercely satisfying fighting game, the kind you keep in your rotation for a long time. The franchise deserved this for ages: it finally got it.
The fighting game a martial-arts franchise always deserved, carried by a per-character Flow system as brilliant as it is deep: a tight starting roster, but a genuine success.
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Tested on PC.
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