Now is a great time to play fighting games, with Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8 giving fans plenty to enjoy. As good as these games are, some fans thought it was odd that they launched without Survival Mode, which many consider a staple of this genre.
Unfortunately, these aren’t the only games that have ditched Survival Mode, as other titles are also abandoning it. Maybe it’s the popularity of online multiplayer or other single-player modes, but Survival Mode is quickly becoming extinct.
Fans of the genre have noticed a distinct lack of Survival Modes in recent titles. Aside from the games mentioned above, big names like King of Fighters 15, Soulcalibur 6, and Marvel vs Capcom Infinite have abandoned the mode altogether.
Hardcore fighting game fans probably don’t care about Survival Mode, since it’s mostly a way to kill time. While fans of single-player titles will enjoy it, enthusiasts of the genre would rather go online and fight other players. Some fans who like online play even skip Arcade Mode, showing how much they want to fight real people.
As one of those weird gamers who likes playing fighting games on their lonesome, it is disheartening to see this mode abandoned by most big-name entries. Granted, I usually play Survival Mode to kill time on my Steam Deck, but that’s time I enjoy killing. Realistically, fans like myself can just play Versus CPU or Arcade Mode over and over, but it’s just not the same.
One of the last relevant titles in this genre to have Survival Mode was Street Fighter 5. When it launched, Survival Mode was the only worthwhile single-player mode and it quickly soured fans who wanted more. Thankfully, after numerous updates, the game now has plenty of single-player modes, making Survival more unique for fans of these characters.
click to enlargeEven though fans who enjoy single-player content in their fighting games miss this mode, seeing it go away isn’t surprising. After all, more of these games have a Story Mode or online play to keep most fans busy. There are even fighting games that feature RPG elements like Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, making Survival Mode a thing of the past.
Still, there is something about an endless wave of enemies to battle in fighting games that’s just appealing. Being able to defeat 100 or so foes for a personal record or some kind of in-game reward can be pretty fun. Even using the mode as a way to kill time while your girlfriend watches a horror movie makes it pretty worthwhile.
In short, more fighting games should launch with Survival Mode. Some fans might prefer online play or are content with Arcade and Story content, but we’d like to see the mode gain prominence again.
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