Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer-related death, and surgical resection remains an important method for radical treatment, but it is urgently needed to solve the problem of high postoperative recurrence rate. Neoadjuvant therapy can reduce the high recurrence rate after surgery, and there are little benefits from neoadjuvant therapy for HCC due to a lack of effective treatment methods in the past. At present, combination therapy based on immune checkpoint inhibitors has a relatively high response rate and has thus changed the treatment landscape for patients with advanced HCC. This urges investigators to reexamine the neoadjuvant treatment strategies for HCC, and it is expected that neoadjuvant therapy can provide new opportunities, reduce the postoperative recurrence rate, and improve the survival rate after treatment. This article discusses the current status and prospects of neoadjuvant therapy for HCC and related hot topics, so as to provide more ideas for exploring neoadjuvant therapy for HCC.