D.I.C.E. Award for Fighting Game of the Year

The D.I.C.E. Award for Fighting Game of the Year is an award presented annually by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences during the D.I.C.E. Awards. This award recognizes "titles that offer the use the virtual experience of controlling a character engaging in individual combat with another character usually from a fixed camera perspective. The opponent can either be controlled by another player or by the game". All active creative/technical, business, and affiliate members of the Academy are qualified to vote for this category. It was originally titled Console Fighting Game of the Year, before it was simplified to just Fighting Game of the Year. It is one of two categories, the other being Online Game of the Year, that is not limited to release within the calendar year but must be supported by significant new content.

The award's most recent winner is Street Fighter 6, developed and published by Capcom.

Developers and publishers
The combined nominations of Namco and Bandai Namco makes them the most nominated developer and publisher. They are tied with NetherRealm Studios for the most award-winning developer. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment / Warner Bros. Games is the top award-winning publisher, being the parent company of NetherRealm Studios. There have been numerous developer/publishers with back-to-back wins: THQ is the only publisher with back-to-back wins with different developers:
 * Team Ninja and Tecmo won in 2001 with Dead or Alive 2, and 2002 with Dead or Alive 3.
 * Namco won in 2003 with Tekken 4, and 2004 with Soulcalibur II.
 * Dimps and Capcom won in 2010 with Street Fighter IV, and 2011 with Super Street Fighter IV.
 * NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment won in 2020 with Mortal Kombat 11, and 2021 with Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate.
 * 1998: WCW vs. nWo: World Tour developed by Asmik Ace Entertainment.
 * 1999: WCW/nWo Revenge developed by AKI Corporation.

Franchises
Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter have been the most nominated franchises. The Mortal Kombat franchise has won the most awards, with Street Fighter with the second most wins. The WWE (formerly WWF) has garnered the most nominations without a win. There have been numerous franchises with back-to-back wins: Street Fighter IV and Mortal Kombat 11 are two games with multiple wins with re-releases. Virtua Fighter 4, Tekken 5, Killer Instinct, and Guilty Gear Xrd have had multiple nominations with re-releases and DLC expansions.
 * WCW vs. nWo: World Tour in 1998, and WCW/nWo Revenge in 1999.
 * Dead or Alive 2 in 2001, and Dead or Alive 3 in 2002.
 * Street Fighter IV in 2010, and Super Street Fighter IV in 2011.
 * Mortal Kombat 11 in 2020, and Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate in 2021.