Released on arcade terminals in 1987, Double Dragon is a cult beat'em all, considered to be the precursor of a multitude of games in the genre that have been largely inspired by it. The series includes around ten titles, mostly beat'em all, with a few forays into fighting games.

Until 2002, the franchise enjoyed regular and often successful releases. Since 2012, however, there have been a succession of attempts to revive the licence, with mixed results. While some of the games are not without interest, none has really made an impact or reached the level expected of such an iconic saga.

This year, Arc System Works announced Double Dragon Revive, a new opus that aims to appeal to fans of the original while attracting a new generation of gamers.

The game is scheduled for release on 23 October 2025 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Steam. Pre-orders for the Standard and Deluxe digital editions are already open. The Standard Edition is priced at €34.99, while the Deluxe Edition, priced at €49.99, includes additional content. As a bonus, players who pre-order will receive Double Dragon Dodge Ball, an exclusive game.

French publisher Microids will be responsible for the physical distribution of the game. While the availability of a physical version in 2025 is good news (and unfortunately increasingly rare), it does come with a caveat, given the uneven quality of games recently published by Microids.

Former franchise developer Ebinuma has expressed scepticism about Double Dragon Revive, criticising an art direction he deems ‘dark’ and ‘cheap’, as well as ‘lacklustre’ combat. First impressions vary widely, and it remains difficult to assess the game at this stage, given the wide range of opinions held by the media and influencers.

Fingers crossed for a successful comeback! In the meantime, let's take a look back at the many games in the franchise, which can be played on Recalbox on... just about every platform, so widespread has the Double Dragon franchise been over the years.