- Primary Subject: Kingdom Heroes: Arena fighting game
- Key Update: A new 3D weapon-based fighter inspired by Soulcalibur, featuring dual-weapon mechanics, is coming to mobile and PS5.
- Status: Article
- Last Verified: 2026-04-29
- Quick Answer: Kingdom Heroes: Arena is a new free-to-play 3D weapon-based fighting game inspired by Soulcalibur, featuring dual-weapon combat and coming to mobile and PS5.
Do you miss weapon-based 1v1 fighting games? Say no more. If Bandai Namco doesn't want to bring back Soulcalibur after almost a decade away, developer USERJOY Technology is making soul burns with Kingdom Heroes: Arena.
Similar to Tekken or Socal, Kingdom Heroes is a 3D fighter with a lot of side-stepping. According to the developers, there will be no motion inputs, which might be a turn-off for plenty of players right out of the gate. The spirit of Soulcalibur is definitely present, but in fact, it's also akin to the original Dynasty Warriors, a 1v1, weapon-based fighting game, before developer Omega Force transitioned the franchise into what we now know as musou games.
The Kingdom Heroes franchise is predominantly an MMORPG set in ancient China. This fighting game spin-off will feature plenty of iconic figures from Chinese folklore, including Lu Bu, Zhao Yun, and Guan Yu, featuring a very unique gimmick: dual-weapon building. Taking inspiration from the main game, you'll be able to select two different weapons and swap between them during matches, leading to some interesting combo opportunities.
A cool bit of Kingdom Heroes: Arena is that it will be a free-to-play title designed to be played on mobiles and PS5, with a demo available via Steam on April 30.
The game will have a hands-on demo at Evo Japan this weekend. So if you're reading all the way from Tokyo, it might be a good way to spend some time while at the venue.
I haven't had the chance to try it out for myself, but more offerings for fighting game fans are always a net positive. Sadly, not much is known about what type of netcode the game will utilize, but hopefully it sticks with the now-standard rollback netcode.
And that's it. Stick with us at Gfinityesports.com: your go-to source for all things fighting games.