Fighting Games are a notoriously difficult genre to get into. Most fighters have a steep learning curve and require a high level of commitment to be consistently rewarded for playing. Oftentimes, new players get discouraged or bored and drop the game sooner rather than later. A good community, however, can bring players in despite the initial hurdle.
For the most part, Fighting Game Communities do their best to draw in new players, and regardless of the community there will always be people willing to help new fans enjoy the game to the fullest extent. Typically what matters is where someone finds this community and how they interact with them. Many communities have local scenes scattered around the world, and there's always a way to find (or create) an online fighting game community. Some communities are incredibly effective at drawing in new players because of this, even though none of them are perfectly devoid of antagonistic individuals.
One of the most welcoming games in general is Super Smash Bros. intuitive gameplay and the popularity of Nintendo, Smash players are as diverse as the bulk of the gaming community. They come in all ages and sizes, and from all walks of life. This popularity also contributes to the ease of finding an online community. There are few, if any, social media platform where Smash players are difficult to find.
Which Fighting Game Community Is Best For Newcomers?
Another community that is quite welcoming to newcomers is the Tekken take inspiration from the initial design decisions made in the first few Street Fighter games. This means that the skills a player learns in Street Fighter have some application in virtually every Fighting Game they might choose to transition to later on, and games like Virtua Fighter also have very welcoming and helpful communities.
The final FGC known for its welcoming attitude towards players are fans of "Anime Fighting Games" like Guilty Gear and Dragon Ball FighterZ. Despite the speed and depth of these games, they are actually incredibly inviting to newbies. With little doubt, Anime Fighters possess the most thorough and comprehensive tutorials in all of Fighting Games. These trump the Combo Challenges present in almost every other fighter, and actually go a long way in teaching players valuable skills. With very few exceptions, most Anime Fighters occupy a niche within the greater Fighting Game community. Guilty Gear, BlazBlue and Under Night In-Birth are a few of the communities sizable enough to have many local and online groups to choose from.
Unfortunately, none 0f these communities will be welcome all the time. Every game has its bad eggs who push new players away, whether it be from trolling or rudeness. Still, that also means every game has a number of good people who make the game worth it. What really makes a game worth it is whether a player actually enjoys playing it, and it's hard to say that any game should be avoided based on the quality of its fans. Still, if someone is looking to make friends in the wider Fighting Game Community, then it would also be easier to stick to popular titles until they feel comfortable investing time in something with less players.