Dead or Alive 6 Last Round Review: The Iconic Fighter is Back for One Last Battle

The original version of Dead or Alive 6 first released in March 2019. That was a fairly decent year for fighting games, as we saw new entries for Mortal Kombat and DOA, as well as some pretty underrated fighters. Since then, Team Ninja has shown excellent support for DOA6, and are poised to release their final update with Dead or Alive 6 Last Round.

The Last Round update has become a staple of Team Nina's DOA cycle, as this release is generally the final one before they begin to prepare us for the next mainline game. Sure enough, DOA7 was announced at a State of Play event this year, bringing support for the sixth game to a close.

It's been an awkward ride for Dead or Alive 6. The original game was decent, but it really failed to reach the highs of DOA5, or even the classic games. As Last Round is essentially the same game with all the bells and whistles, that's either a good thing or a bad thing depending on your experience with DOA6.

I'm something of a Dead or Alive fanatic, as DOA3 was one of the games that convinced me to get an original Xbox. I would also try to figure out ways to get to the mall arcade in order to play DOA2, if just for a moment. As we near the arrival of a new DOA game in the next couple of years, looking back at five years of DOA6 has been a combination of frustration and hopeful optimism.

The One With Ryu

Growing up, Dead or Alive was always so cool to me because it was a fighting game set within a universe spawned out of a 2D action franchise on the NES known as Ninja Gaiden. What was even cooler was playing Ninja Gaiden on the original Xbox, and seeing DOA characters like Ayane and Kasumi show up in that game. Conversely, Rachel would make her debut in Ninja Gaiden, then transfer into DOA with the fifth game.

The interconnected universe was fantastic, and because of that, I believe it made my interest in Dead or Alive a bit stronger. I do enjoy a good fighting game, but the DOA games have always been my favorite. Ryu and his crew being major players was just a bonus. That being said, the quality of DOA's cast outside that has always been a tad lackluster.

What's also always been rather frustrating is how much fun the Gaiden characters are compared to the others. Even Ryu often feels lackluster when you put some time into Ayane or Kasumi, as the speed and ferocity they both display is outstanding. I also wouldn't say the entire non-Ninja Gaiden cast is bad, as DOA6 Last Round still features some great fighters, like Momiji and Bass.

All these years later, however, I'm still baffled by how lukewarm the cast of these games has always been. The fighter selection is rough, and honestly, unless you're someone who really likes Diego, the cast isn't much better than it was in 2019. There are new DLC characters, but if you have already bought them, it's difficult to recommend shelling out 40 bucks here, as the roster is identical.

One Last Round

While there are a few cosmetic differences, Dead or Alive 6 Last Round is exactly the same game as the 2019 version. How you feel about that depends on your experience with the original. If you loved the 2019 game, then you're in luck. I personally loved DOA6's fighting systems back in the day, but did feel that it could use a new voice, as its story had started to get a bit tired and worn down. That's still the case in 2026.

While a lot of those issues are easily ignored, as story modes in fighting games aren't required to be world-changing, it's still a tremendously disappointing experience. The voice acting, especially Ryu's, and writing are still outrageously bad. Sometimes they do veer into a bit of "so bad it's good territory," though that may be Stockholm Syndrome settling in.

Thankfully, the story mode's flaws really don't matter once you get into the actual fighting. As ever, DOA6 is crisp, fast, and incredibly satisfying from a pure gameplay standpoint. The way punches and kicks feel is just stupendous, as they all have a sharp, tactile nature that a lot of other fighting games don't. Some of the wind-ups to a kick feel amazing, which is followed up by an immensely satisfying impact.

The combat is further elevated by the dynamic stages, a staple of the DOA franchise. First introduced in DOA3, an epic stage transition will occur when you or an opponent are knocked into a danger zone. These environmental shifts have been a major part of the franchise for a long time, and DOA6 had some of the best in the entire franchise.

Truthfully, steering clear of the story mode and just playing arcade mode is the way to go. You will get the most out of the game that way, as the story mode is also rather awkward in the way it displays itself and unfolds. The bizarre, random nature at which episodes unlock just feels like the game being too cute for its own good.

Better Off Dead

Dead or Alive 6 Last Round's place in your library is ultimately going to come down to whether you really loved DOA6. If you didn't, there's nothing here from a gameplay perspective that's going to alter your perception. It plays exactly the same, the story is no different, and there's nothing new of note here beyond the photo mode. It's nothing special, but it's still pretty decent for what it is.

What's really the most frustrating about DOA6 Last Round is that there's a fantastic fighting game that's surrounded by a lot of content, but none of it is very interesting. The story is bland and bizarre, and other modes are just filled with a lot of nothing to do. If you just want a great fighting game and don't care about the other stuff, DOA6 is one of the best on the market right now.

Performance on PC is quite good, thankfully. It was pretty decent back in 2019, but Team Ninja has clearly done a lot of work under the hood to make something that feels a bit more responsive and smooth. I didn't have any real problems in terms of performance, and the frame rate was remarkably solid. The furious pace of combat really didn't do much to disrupt that.

I think the most detrimental part of DOA6 Last Round coming out in 2026 is that this year really isn't in need of any more great fighting games. 2026 has already had some outstanding entries in that regard, with a few more heavy hitters on the way. If you're a die-hard fan like myself, this is pretty much the only one you'll need until DOA7, but beyond that, it feels destined to get lost in the shuffle and fade away fairly quickly.

Dead or Alive 6 Last Round is the ultimate edition of 2019's DOA6. It offers absolutely no new content outside a pretty decent photo mode, so if you haven't played it yet, now is the time. If you already own DOA6, however, there's almost nothing here that can be recommended. For newcomers, Dead or Alive 6 Last Round is going to be an electric experience, and it's guaranteed to be one of the best fighters this year purely by the will of its savage gameplay. For vets, however, it may indeed be DOA.