Mortal Kombat Vs Street Fighter – Which is the Best Fighter Franchise?

They’re two of the most popular franchises in fighting games, but in Mortal Kombat Vs Street Fighter, which one comes out ahead? Both of these are series which have been around for a long time. There are deep histories. Both have released new modern titles in the last few years and have an active player base with tournaments. If you had to choose one as the better series, which would it be?

There’s always going to be a factor of personal preference here. It’s an easy question for some people. For others though it could be tough to pick an absolute favorite. To some, the best MK fatalities with their gore make it the best fighting game! To others, Street Fighter’s tighter and more intricate mechanics make it the better pick. There are plenty of areas where we can do a side-by-side comparison though. Let’s take a look at Mortal Kombat Vs Street Fighter. Which is the better series?

Mortal Kombat Vs Street Fighter

Which is More Popular?

Maybe the easiest way to measure the two up is a simple popularity contest. Or in terms of modern live games, which has the bigger current player base? Both Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat released new titles last year. This makes them good comparison points for which franchise is currently more important to fighting games.

Sales are tricky, as publishers don’t give out exact data without something to brag about. We don’t get console player figures either. However, we can look at the PC player data and extrapolate that across all three platforms. It isn’t a full picture, but it’s a sample that can tell us which has been more popular. PC figures are likely representative of other platforms, it would be weird if Xbox players specifically thought Mortal Kombat was the best fighting games.

Mortal Kombat 11 typically has a bit over 2,000 players, peaking at 27,000 players on Steam. The SF 6 player count peaked at 70,000 players and still gets just under 10,000. By these metrics in Mortal Kombat Vs Street Fighter, the latter is definitely the winner. SF 6 would seem to be the biggest game right now.

There’s a caveat here though. Mortal Kombat 1 is on one more platform than SF 6, the Switch. It’s a pretty poor port that the publishers have essentially apologized for though. So this extra platform probably isn’t yielding a significant number of extra players.

Which Current Game is Stronger?

Quality does matter, beyond popularity. This is a pretty subjective area though. Some will prefer Street Fighter and others will prefer Mortal Kombat. More broadly, Street Fighter 6 has definitely been the better received out of the most recent titles.

The game has fantastic fighting gameplay. Lots for players to do, and a level of polish few fighters manage. Mortal Kombat 1 has been a major improvement. It doesn’t feel as well polished as Street Fighter though. Admittedly, quite a few improvements have been coming over the last months like MK crossplay. Over time, it could even out the playing field.

At the moment Street Fighter has largely been better received than Mortal Kombat in this generation though.

Esports – Mortal Kombat Vs Street Fighter

Fighting games are huge in esports, and the latest releases in these two series have been a big factor in growing that. Street Fighter 6 definitely leads the way here with its hugely boosted Capcom Cup prize pool. This has meant all competitions for the game seem to be top-out registrants and popular at the major events.

Mortal Kombat on the other hand has the Pro Kompetition. It hasn’t attracted the same level of attention, but it’s been a clear step up for the franchise. More and more people are playing and watching Mortal Kombat competitively. Plus, there’s never been a better time to get involved with events yourself.

Both of these games have made big improvements with their recent releases in this section. While Street Fighter 6 offers more opportunity, the speed of both games’ growth makes it difficult to pick a single winner.

Which Has a Stronger History?

Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter are both on the older side of fighting game franchises. Mortal Kombat first debuted in 1992, whereas Street Fighter has been around since 1987. Over the years both have had games that are pretty important to the development of fighting games.

Being older, Street Fighter has a bit more prestige in the genre. However, Mortal Kombat’s ambition to make an eye-catching gory game has really helped the genre get wider. Mortal Kombat’s spine-ripping moves might even be more iconic than the earliest Street Fighters. It’s even led to Mortal Kombat being banned in some countries.

It’s difficult to say what fighting games would look like today without either franchise. In Mortal Kombat vs Street Fighter, both are important for the growth of fighters.

Which is Better, Mortal Kombat Vs Street Fighter?

Looking at Mortal Kombat Vs Street Fighter right now, in current games Street Fighter 6 might just edge ahead. The title has a bigger player base and has generally been better received. There have been times when the current MK is much further ahead than SF though. Both games have contributed a lot to the growth of the genre.

A lot of players likely have a favorite between the two. Plenty of it is personal preference, and both stand out as the current height of competitive fighting games.