This past November has been a treasure trove of fighting game news. With multiple major tournaments having taken place this past month along with brand new announcements and releases that occurred later on, there will be plenty for fighting game fans to get their hands on.
Capcom and Street Fighter V
Capcom held the North American Regional Finals of their Capcom Pro Tour for Street Fighter V on the weekend of November 16th. Two announcements were made after the tournament wrapped up. First, the iconic boss from Street Fighter III, Gill, will be the next to join the roster in a future update. Gill fights using his pyrokinetic and cryokinetic abilities and both of his V-Triggers will allow him to further tap into his elemental abilities. V-Trigger 1, Primal Fire, will apparently allow Gill to extend combos with flaming pillars that launch the opponent upwards. His V-Trigger 2, Ice of Doom, will allow Gill to bounce his opponents off walls of ice and force them to block incoming icicles as they recover on the ground.
The trailer that revealed Gill also showed off the biggest addition of the upcoming patch. All characters will be receiving a second selectable V-Skill. This will allow players to select a completely new move to supplement their character’s usual moveset. This massive change, along with the addition of more characters, will hopefully give a much needed shaking up to Street Fighter V which has not had a major update outside of additional characters for almost over a year.
To wrap it all up, Capcom also announced Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, which contains all of the previously released DLC along with the most up-to-date version of Street Fighter V, in one complete disc. Players also have the option to upgrade their current game and immediately buy all the prior DLC for $24.99 before the update officially drops. Interestingly enough, the advertising for the Champion Edition mentions that it will include 40 characters, of which Street Fighter V currently has 39, including Gill. Who will the final newcomer be? Gill and the next update will be coming out this month and Street Fighter V: Champion Edition comes out February 14th, 2020. The Champion Edition trailer can be found here.
Arc System Works and Guilty Gear
At the same time as Capcom’s Pro Tour NA Finals, Arc System Works held its annual ARCREVO America tournament featuring Blazblue: Centralfiction, Guilty Gear Xrd Revelator 2, and Blazblue Cross Tag Battle. Their biggest reveal was a trailer that revealed that the next installment in the Guilty Gear series, which was previously known as “Guilty Gear 2020,” will officially be titled Guilty Gear STRIVE. After a montage of all the previously revealed characters, the trailer ends with a teaser for the return of Faust, the wacky and mysterious bag-wearing doctor of spindly proportions. More information will come in the form of a new trailer which will debut at the Frosty Faustings tournament on January 17th.
ARCREVO America was also the first time fighting game fans got their first chance of playing the game. Impressions were relatively mixed as some were happy with the quality of the new character models and the removal of superfluous mechanics from previous titles. Others were worried about the issues such as the simplification of the combo system, the smaller character movesets, and the unusually garish UI. Arc System Works has stated that they were taking user feedback and, as Guilty Gear STRIVE is set for a late 2020 release, there’s still a possibility that the game will undergo major changes.
Also in Arc System Works news, the 2.0 update of Blazblue Cross Tag Battle released on November 21st. The update adds new mechanics, balance changes, and a snazzy new AI, for free. Players also have the option of purchasing an expansion for $24.99 which adds 9 new characters as well as a new story mode. Newcomers include Celica A. Mercury and Susanoo from Blazblue, Tohru Adachi and Elizabeth from Persona 4 Arena, Hilda from Under Night In-Birth, Neo Politan from RWBY, and two new franchises being represented by Akatsuki and Blitztank from Akatsuki Blitzkampf, as well as Yumi from Senran Kagura. The character pack does not need to be purchased to play the 2.0 update.
Soulcalibur VI
Finally, Soulcalibur VI’s Season 2 started on November 24th, featuring general balance changes, new moves for each character, and a newer, more ornate UI. The info for the season was first explained on a stream right after a first-to-10 exhibition between EVO champion Yutotto and former Soulcalibur V EVO champion/current on-team developer Shining Decopon, which can be found here. After the exhibition, the development team came on to reveal the Season 2 trailer. New mechanics include the Soul Attack which allows the player to attack and immediately enter a powered up Soul Charge state to keep the offensive, as well as the Resist Impact which can parry any attack, even unblockable attacks, for the cost of half of a meter, making it an extremely strong defensive option.
Also coming alongside Season 2 is a new season pass of DLC content. The first new character is Hilde, who makes her return from Soulcalibur 4 and 5. She brings her unique playstyle of charging powerful sword and spear attacks performed by holding down and releasing buttons. This iteration of Hilde has been updated with the Regalia Arts ability, which grants her sword and spear even more powerful moves that are unlocked after landing certain attacks. The second season pass for Soulcalibur VI can be purchased for $33.99 and comes with four characters, including Hilde and guest character Haohmaru from Samurai Shodown, four costume part packs, and the soundtracks for Soulcalibur 4 and 5 as a bonus. The characters and costume part packs can also be purchased separately outside of the season pass as well.
