The story of DNF Duel is set in an astral plane full of gates, one of many alternate realities created in the aftermath of the destructive event known as the Great Metastasis.

[9][10] Destructoid liked the game's chaotic nature, ambitious premise, attractive roster, extensive training menus, and stable rollback netcode, and noted that the rote narrative, lack of crossplay, high-budget visuals, and high price tag as factors that held it back.

[13] IGN awarded the title a score of 8/10 and wrote that DNF Duel is a game of resource management, patience, and creative problem solving wrapped up in a "beautiful package", but noted that it may not be friendly to newcomers.

[15] Shacknews similarly praised the solid, varied cast of fighters, "beautiful" visuals and soundtrack, stable netcode, and abundance of modes but took minor issue with the flimsy character balance and overly accessible controls.

[18] VG247 called DNF Duel "a perplexing cocktail of well-implemented accessibility options" and gave high praise to the rollback netcode but noted that the story was not "substantial" for single-player mode.