Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game Preview

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2026 has been one of the most important and active years for the fighting game community so far. Games like Invincible VS, Marvel TOKON, and Saturday AM Battle Manga are all incredibly anticipated games for lovers of the genre. But there was one game that everyone locked on to, and it was Avatar Legends. Ever since its reveal at the NYCC 2025 event, people praised its 100% hand-drawn visuals and solid 1v1 fundamentals. We checked out the closed beta test, and I have some thoughts so far.

When I first booted up the game, I was mesmerized by its incredible hand-drawn visuals. Every frame of every move was drawn by hand, with over 900 frames per character. The artistic effort behind it is undoubtedly impressive, and the result is nothing short of a masterpiece. Every stage, animation, and special effect looks like it came straight out of the childhood animated series, blending together perfectly to create a visual spectacle that no other fighting game even comes close to. I'm a longtime fighting game player and have played hundreds of titles over the years, from anime fighters to realistic 3D titles. Avatar Legends is, by far, the most visually impressive fighting game I've ever seen.

When it comes to fighting games, the most important thing is the mechanics. And I can wholeheartedly say that they nailed them as well.

Avatar is not a tag fighter, but it borrows tag fighters' combo system and integrates it into a 1v1 format. Meaning, we have light, medium, and heavy attacks, and they can auto-combo into one another, just like in Marvel vs. Capcom or Invincible VS. The defining mechanic of the game is the "Flow" system. At first glance, it seemed very similar to Street Fighter 6's Drive System, but the longer I experimented with it, the more it felt different, unique, and, in my opinion, even better.

Flow has its own dedicated button, and you can do tons of things with it. You can perform a sort of parry and cancel it into different slides, air dashes, and attacks. There are also tons of Flow specials and normals that utilize the Flow bar. You can build EX meter with Flow, air dash, and trick your opponent like there's no tomorrow, break out of combos, and do lots of other things. As the game's main mechanic, Flow was absolutely amazing to experiment with.

The game also uses some sort of "Assist" or "Support Character" system, but unlike Mortal Kombat 1's Kameos or a tag fighter's active assists, they only give you buffs that drastically change your playstyle and combo routes. It's more like a mix of Mortal Kombat X's Variations and Street Fighter Alpha's fighting styles (A-ISM, V-ISM), but presented in such a cute and creative way, and that's probably my favorite feature of the game so far. Experimenting with different support characters and what they offer is great, and you can also counter bad matchups without having to learn an entirely different character that way. It creates solutions, and I'm all for it.

Some characters also have unique mechanics, almost like little "mini-games" built into their kits. For example, Korra (my main) has an Element bar, and if you hit your opponent with the corresponding elements in the order the game shows you, you enter an enhanced Avatar State that amplifies your next special move, giving it entirely different properties. Zuko also has a unique sword mechanic. I didn't get to test it much, but it also fulfills certain requirements, and he gains some sort of overpowered buffs if you manage to pull it off.

In the closed beta, all I had access to was Training Mode, six characters, and Local Versus. The main menu also featured greyed-out/unavailable Arcade, Story, and Trial modes, so the game looks promising in terms of content. I played lots of online matches, both lobby matches with friends and randoms in Quick Match, and the netcode was surprisingly stable. I have yet to encounter any kind of lag or stutter. It just flows perfectly, just like Training Mode, even when you're playing against someone far away. And when it comes to fighting games, that's extremely rare.

So, let's wrap it up with a final opinion. I wasn't expecting an amazing game. I didn't care much about the Avatar IP, and after seeing the disappointment of Invincible VS, any licensed fighter felt like a cash grab to me. Avatar Legends hit me in the face and proved me wrong. It's definitely one of the most promising fighters out there, and if the developers keep doing such a great job, it has the potential to become a huge staple of the genre, just like Guilty Gear or Dragon Ball FighterZ.

The closed beta was a fantastic experience. Honestly, I couldn't find a single thing to criticize, and I'm a harsh critic when it comes to fighting games. It genuinely feels like a game I'll easily put a thousand hours into once it releases. Well done, Gameplay Group International. My hat's off to you.

Avatar Legends Closed Beta - Steam Deck Performance

I'm extremely happy to say that Avatar Legends is a flawless experience on Steam Deck. You get a stable 60 FPS. There are no graphics settings (since the game is hand-drawn), and there is zero input lag or stuttering. The game looks just as gorgeous as it does on a 4K screen, and the art style fits perfectly on an OLED display.

My only issue was the battery drain. By default, the game consumed around 17–19 watts, which is a lot for a hand-drawn game. Luckily, after setting the TDP to 7W, it dropped to around 10–12 watts, which is perfect for long gaming sessions on the go. You can go even lower, but 7W is the limit for a perfect 60 FPS experience with zero drops. Maybe when the full game releases, it will be better optimized, and we can lower it even further.

Online play also works without issues, and with a solid Wi-Fi connection, the game offers great netcode with minimal lag, which is good news since online play has traditionally been the weakest part of the genre on handhelds.

2D fighters were already a joy in the palms of our hands, and having a gorgeous one like this join the list is extremely satisfying.

Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game can be pre-purchased on Steam for $29.99 ahead of its July 23rd release date.

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