We Spoke With Taiki Sakurai On Netflix Anime Creators’ Base & More Anime Stuff

Netflix is officially launching its first-ever Anime Creatorsâ€™ Base located inside their new Tokyo office. This community space will host designers, writers, and Netflix team members working on bolstering our amazing anime lineup. From this space, we want to promote best practices and high production standards, to empower creators with the necessary tools and resources of anime production over time.
Netflix Anime Creatorsâ€™ Base consists of three areas:

Designersâ€™ Garage: This space seats up to 10 designers and artists. At launch, designers will focus on creating conceptual art at the early developmental stages of an anime series or film to ensure creative staff is aligned on the look and feel of a project.
Writersâ€™ Garage: This meeting room is designed to be a collaborative space for creatives working on anime shows, where teams will develop and edit scripts, and invite creators to discuss new projects (and of course, geek out a little on anime).
Lab: This multi-functional space is designed to be a versatile room for innovation, like testing out new creative technologies such as VR or playing around with the latest motion capture technologies.
At launch, Netflix Anime Creatorsâ€™ Base will focus on developing conceptual art to support creators and production studios during pre-production. Two designers, Namiko Ishidate and Saina Cisse, will be based here to help with this work.

Courtesy of Netflix Malaysia, we were lucky enough to be the only Malaysian media to participate in an exclusive interview with Netflix Anime Creative Director of Content Acquisition Taiki Sakurai. This interview has been edited for clarity.
Taiki Sakurai.
1. Can you tell us more about the main objective of the Netflix Anime Creatorsâ€™ Base (NACB) and what it’s about?
Usually, there are three main things when creating animation. The first is pre-production and then comes the main production, and then there’s post-production. Our purpose of creating the Netflix Anime Creators’ Base is to focus on something that comes even prior to the pre-production phase, so more upstream.
Our main focus, for now, is to create concept art and image boards, which are sometimes skipped during really busy TV anime production. So by focusing on the really upstream area and phase, we were hoping that we could be of help to the production studios that we’re working together with.
2. What projects are the NACB currently working on?
One is still TBD, but it’s a series based on Grimm fairy tales and we are working together with a very famous manga artist called CLAMP as character designers and the production house is Wit Studio. On this project, we have been providing some rough designs, image boards and concept art by having Netflix Anime Creators Base artists draw these things and provide them to the studio side.
This is helpful when creating a totally original project not based on existing manga, films or IP, to share the basic image of the project.
Untitled Project Grimm – Conceptual Art
3. Is Netflix’s focus moving forward more towards 2D or 3D animation?
I would say both. When hand-drawn 2D animation makes more sense for a specific title, we’d definitely choose 2D. On Other occasions when we think 3D CGI would be more appropriate for another different specific title then we will be using the 3D CGI technology.
4. Trese was an interesting Filipino-based anime project from Netflix. Is Netflix looking to make more anime from diverse studios from companies outside of Japan like Southeast Asia?
Sure, we are looking for talented partners who have a vision and passion around the world. If we think that a certain idea or a certain vision makes sense, we would definitely work together. Currently, we’re working together with IGLOO Studio from Thailand, Studio Mir from Korea, CGCG from Taiwan, Studio 5 from Taiwan and more.
5. Do you think anime has broadened its definition in this day and age? For example, the recent The Witcher Nightmare Of The Wolf, would you consider that an anime?
Netflix has no house rule on what animation looks like, which gives us room to expand and push the boundaries of the art form. I think the term anime itself is changing over the years, as it always has been, to be honest. Even in Japan, what we refer to as anime has been changing. In the past, we used to call them manga movies, for instance. Anime is now referred to like this specific art form but currently, even in Japan, it’s changing.
The younger Japanese generation uses anime when referring to animated series only. When it comes to anime movies, they don’t put the word ‘anime’ at the front. They just call them movies. The definition of anime itself is definitely changing over the years even in Japan and of course, outside of Japan.
6. What are the challenges of making anime in the 2000s compared to before the existence of social media? Is it easier or harder now?
Social media gives us some kind of help and guidance on what the audience wants. I don’t think it’s becoming difficult. There is a really healthy synergy so we want to continue creating conversations around our titles and talent working on our shows.
Netflix Anime Creatorsâ€™ Base Creative Associate Namiko Ishidate
7. What is Netflix’s strategy to compete with rivals like Sony’s Crunchyroll and others?
I think we’ve faced competition before and still facing it currently but I think that helps us grow better, make ourselves better. Especially in Japan, streaming is growing but still relatively still a minority. The fact that the streaming services are expanding is that we want to be positive about that.
And especially when it comes to talent in the anime industry, it is like a healthy environment for creators as well if they think this streaming area is really exciting and people are gathering on this platform, that would bring in more creators into the anime industry, which is a positive sign for us.
Also, what’s unique about Netflix is that our shows have the potential to reach a wide audience so while we focus on pleasing existing fans, we can also expand with potential fans who may not have watched anime shows before.
We can reveal some figures. Two years ago, 100 million households watched at least one anime title and in the last year, 120 million did. It’s an incredible job; we localise titles into 13 different languages, stream simultaneously in 190 countries, so I think this growth and expansion will continue over the next few years.
8. Netflix is adapting more video game IPs into anime, such as Dota Dragon’s Blood, Resident Evil Infinite Darkness and Monster Hunter Legends Of The Guild. Do you have further plans for more?
Game IPs are very interesting and attractive to us because they have a really global fanbase. We are very open to creating additional opportunities by creating game adaptation IPs. I can’t reveal the titles that we are producing right now but I can tell you that some of them are definitely coming on the way.
9. Do you think that modern anime has more limitations in telling a story while trying not to offend viewers?
I think it’s not becoming difficult necessarily. I think those inputs are actually helpful to create new shows. Restrictions sometimes give the creators freedom how to think and what kind of story they want to navigate. I don’t think it’s a negative trend.
10. Do you have any personal favourite anime, and do you prefer modern or classic anime?
I watch many shows. I don’t if you can call this traditional but I’m a very big fan of something like Cowboy Bebop. I myself worked on Evangelion, or Ghost In The Shell as a writer, and recently, an original anime called Eden that we launched globally. That (Eden) was created by my really old friend, Justin Leach, and that was sort of a long-time dream come true.
Some titles like The Way Of The Househusband, which we released several months ago. It’s the story of a Yakuza husband who quits his Yakuza clan and becomes a househusband to support his wife. I thought it was a very domestic comedy and I imagined it’d do well in Japan, and it did, but it also did really well outside of Japan. Especially in the US, it did well, so it was kind of a surprise.
It’s very exciting and interesting to see different types of anime working globally and I think we’re entering a new era.

11. You spoke about Evangelion, Ghost In The Shell, and Eden. What do you think about sci-fi in anime?
I personally like sci-fi a lot and I think it resonates well with the anime art form because anime is literally a picture. You can just draw anything that comes up in your imagination. It’s certainly easier to accomplish certain ideas through anime format than live-action, so it resonates well, I think.
Having said that, sci-fi is not the only genre that we are aiming for in the Netflix anime slate. We’ve got shonen stuff, fantasy. We’re looking into shoujo shows too recently and fighting shows are always popular; Baki, Record Of Ragnarok, those do really well.
As a producer, it’s a very exciting opportunity that you can produce many different types of shows simultaneously, which is something that I wasn’t able to do while I was producing at a studio. I had to concentrate on one title every three or four years. So, it was like attending the Olympic Games.
We just had this discussion last night with our creative producer members, that we’re so lucky to be able to produce so many different types of shows simultaneously and it all shows globally.
12. How do you try to promote anime to be more mainstream and attractive to viewers who still think of anime as a niche?
We’re working on that together with our marketing team and our AMP team, but I think by using those media, I think we can slowly grow but at the same time, I think word of mouth is acting as a great role in making anime more mainstream. People actually are talking about anime more and more frequently.
I’ve observed the same kind of phenomenon in Japan too. Probably around 10 years ago when the first Attack On Titan series came out in Japan, I really noticed that people on trains or at school or cafeterias would talk about the anime. The ordinary people, not the otakus or cult fans, would regularly talk about anime titles or specific episodes or characters.
I think that was the timing of the breakthrough. I think there were several titles as good as those gate-openers, but I think the same kind of thing would happen on our service as well and open more gates for the newcomers.
Our product also has personalization. For example, we just announced that the live-action series for Cowboy Bebop and I think for people who watch live-action series, that version of Cowboy Bebop, we can recommend the anime version of it. These products can help create potential anime fans as well, by pushing normal viewers to watch our anime slate.
When we recommend something, I usually click on it, whether they’re live-action or Korean movies or comedies or documentaries. I don’t know how they do it, but those recommendations are usually very accurate. None of the recommendations misses my taste, so it’s really amazing.
Taiki Sakurai and Namiko Ishidate.
13. Do you have any more plans to adapt anime into live-action productions like the upcoming One Piece series? Are you involved with the One Piece live-action series?
I am involved, indirectly (laughs). When our live-action team based out of LA wants to reach out to Japanese creators or want to talk or discuss a certain adaptation, whether it’s an animation or live-action, and if any of the teams in our company wants to reach out to them, because we’re grounded in Tokyo, we will be the first point of contact to open up that path for other teams as well.
We can’t reveal the titles or what kind of shows we’re creating but yes, there are other titles that are in discussion.
14. Do you have any plans to expand the NACB to regions outside of Japan, like Malaysia?
I haven’t thought about that at this point because we’ve just kicked off. We’re a really small entity, we’ve really just started but in the future, I think anything is possible. It was only four years ago that I joined Netflix. Back then, I was the only person who was dedicated to anime. Now, we have like 40 or 50 people. It’s a totally different team now and it happens over a very short period of time.
One year, two years, so even if I don’t necessarily have a solid plan of expanding to Asian territories, who knows two or three years later we might be having multiple Asian Creators’ Bases and I hope that would happen.


SEGA Spring Sale 2023 Offers Great Discounts On Selected Games

SEGA has announced that the SEGA SPRING SALE 2023 is now underway on the PlayStation Store. The SEGA SPRING SALE will be active from today until 26 April 2023. During this period a select range of PS5 and PS4 titles will be available at bargain prices for a limited time.
This sale features a variety of games in its lineup, including Lost Judgment, the latest title in the legal thriller Judgment series, and Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown, the newest instalment in the Virtua Fighter franchise that delivers cutting-edge graphics and new gameplay elements.
You can check out the full list of discounted games by heading over here.


Guilty Gear Strive 1.18 Patch Notes, Balance Changes, And Buffs/Nerfs

Arc System Works has published the patch notes for Guilty Gear Strive’s version 1.18 update, and it features a ton of major changes for the game.
The game will have new universal mechanics added, as well as feature a number of changes for the main roster. In a nutshell, the 1.18 update is slowly morphing the game back to its combo-heavy roots ala Guilty Gear Xrd. Here they are:
Disclaimer: this article is still being updated. Also, inputs are in numpad notations (ie: a Hadoken motion is 236)

Universal Mechanics

System Changes
Roman Cancel: Canceling into normal or special moves from a Roman Cancel now triggers a slow-down effect, and limits the Tension gauge cost.
Counter Hit: Some moves like standing P and crouching K now trigger a slow-down effect on counter hit, making combos not normally possible available.
Faultless Defense: There’s now a Faultless Defense button added to the control scheme.
Revised Input Mechanism: For moves with the same input for the grounded and aerial versions.
Jumping Attacks: Adjusted blowback effect on hit, making it easier to convert into a combo.
Dash Cancels: All characters with dashes can now dash cancel their standing K and close standing S.
Overall Damage Adjustments: Some highly used moves with great versatility have had their damage decreased. Overdrives that work well as counterattacks have had their attack startup, recovery, etc. revised with their damage remaining unchanged, to make it easier to punish them when blocked.
Individual Characters
Sol Badguy
Adjustment to his Crouching K and Sweep improve Sol’s low attack options, strengthening his ability to pressure the opponent.
Volcanic Viper has been improved as an offensive tool with adjustments to its hitbox and more, as there was a window with no active hitbox directly as Sol ascends, meaning would not always function as an invincible move.
On the other hand, as his Standing K and Far Standing S were too strong compared to other characters, their performance has been decreased while leaving their greatest strengths, the attack startup and recovery on block, as-is.
Changes
• Standing K
– Decreased attack level.
– Increased base scaling.
– Now depletes more R.I.S.C. level.
– Increased combo blowback scaling on combos with Standing K as a starter.
• Crouching K
– Decreased knockback.
• Far Standing S
– Decreased damage.
• Forward + S
– Decreased damage.
• Forward + HS
– Increased recovery.
– Expanded upwards hitbox.
– Decreased knockback.
• Sweep
– Expanded frontal hitbox and hurtbox.
– Increased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping P
– Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping K
– Now launches opponent higher.
• Jumping D
– Reduced frontal hurtbox.
– Now causes less Wall Break value gain.
• Ground Throw
– Decreased recovery upon successful throw.
• Gun Flame (Feint)
– Decreased recovery.
• Volcanic Viper (All Versions)
– Sol is now in a standing position on landing, rather than crouching.
– Added a hitbox directly after ascent begins, and hitbox now remains throughout.
– Expanded hitbox during ascent, and reduced hurtbox.
– Can no longer be Roman Canceled while the opponent’s Gold Psych Burst is active.
– When blocked mid-air, the opponent now lands more quickly than before.
• Aerial Bandit Bringer
– Decreased attack startup.
• Night Raid Vortex (Charged)
– Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Fafnir
– Reduced lower hitbox.
• Tyrant Rave
– Increased attack startup.
– Increased recovery.
Ky Kiske
The recovery of Dire Eclat has been decreased, making it easier to buffer after normal moves. It’s now easy to follow-up while in the corner.
The usage restriction on Stun Edge has been revised, and the recovery of Aerial Stun Edge has been decreased, further improving Ky’s ability to fight from far range.
It is now possible to continue your offense after the opponent blocks Dragon Install. After activation, the movement speed of his forward movement, dash, etc. has been increased, greatly improving his neutral game.
Changes
• Crouching K
– Decreased knockback.
• Forward + K
– Can now be canceled into special moves.
• Close Standing S
– Reduced recovery.
• Far Standing S
– Reduced frontal hurtbox.
• Crouching S
– Reduced frontal hurtbox.
• Jumping P
– Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping K
– Now launches opponent higher.
• Jumping S
– Reduced frontal hurtbox.
• Jumping HS
– Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping D
– Can now be jump canceled and air dash canceled.
– Can now be canceled into special moves.
– Now launches the opponent on grounded hit.
– Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
– Can now be canceled into a Finish Blow during a Homing Jump.
• Ground Throw
– Reduced recovery upon successful throw.
– Now launches opponent lower, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Shock State
– Effect now ends when Ky takes damage.
• Stun Edge (All Versions)
– Usage restriction is now removed after a set amount of time passes.
• Aerial Stun Edge (All Versions)
– Reduced recovery.
• Charged Stun Edge
– Usage restriction is now removed after a set amount of time passes.
• Foundre Arc
– Decreased attack level of initial half of active frames.
– Reduced recovery.
• Vapor Thrust (All Versions)
– Expanded lower hitbox.
– Can no longer be Roman Canceled while the opponent’s Gold Psych Burst is active.
– When blocked mid-air, the opponent now lands more quickly than before.
• Dire Eclat
– Reduced recovery.
• Ride the Lightning (All Versions)
– Increased attack startup.
• Dragon Install
– Increased movement speed of forward movement, backward movement, and dash.
– Decreased horizontal blowback distance.
– Decreased recovery.
May
The properties of Mr. Dolphin Horizontal and Mr. Dolphin Vertical now vary when the button is held down.
Although they are straight-forward lunge attacks, now in addition to their prior uses, May has more options to change the movement distance or active frames depending on how long the button is held.
Changes
• Standing P
– Reduced attack startup.
• Forward + P
– Adjusted animation of opponent character on hit.
• Standing K
– Reduced attack startup.
• Crouching K
– Decreased knockback.
• Down-forward + K
– The opponent can now recover after landing.
• Standing HS
– Decreased damage.
– Expanded frontal hurtbox during recovery.
• Crouching HS
– Now launches opponent lower.
• Forward + HS
– Decreased damage.
• Sweep
– Expanded frontal hitbox and hurtbox.
• Jumping P
– Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping K
– Now launches opponent higher.
• Jumping Down + HS
– Increased recovery.
• Mr. Dolphin Horizontal (All Versions)
– Decreased damage.
– Active frames now increase when the button is held down.
– Now maintains momentum after landing on whiff.
• Mr. Dolphin Vertical (All Versions),br/> – Movement speed now increases when the button is held down.
– No longer hits opponent when more than a set distance apart.
– Reduced recovery on hit.
• Mr. Dolphin Vertical (HS Version)
– When the descending part of the attack hits, the opponent now bounces higher with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
– Increased speed of descent after hitting the opponent.
• The Wonderful and Dynamic Goshogawara (All Versions)
– When blocked mid-air, the opponent now lands more quickly than before.
– Increased recovery.
Axl Low
Winter Mantis can now be used in combos.
In situations where Sickle Flash would not connect, Winter Mantis can sometimes be used to follow-up.
In the corner, forward + K and Rainwater can now be used more easily in combos.
In addition to improving the utility of pokes such as Crouching P and Far Standing S, his ability to fight from mid-range has also been strengthened by adjusting the attack startup of Aerial Snail, making it easier to connect after Jumping S.
Changes
• Crouching P
– Expanded frontal hitbox.
• Forward + P
– Now launches opponent on grounded hit.
– Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Crouching K
– Decreased knockback.
• Forward + K
– Added wall bounce effect.
– Now launches opponent lower, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Close Standing S
– Reduced recovery.
• Far Standing S
– Reduced recovery.
– Expanded frontal hitbox and reduced hurtbox.
• Forward + HS
– Increased knockback.
• Jumping P
– Now launches opponent lower, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping K
– Now launches opponent higher.
• Jumping D
– Reduced Frontal hurtbox.
• Winter Mantis
– Can now hit opponents while they’re taking damage.
– No longer hits opponent when more than a set distance apart.
– Expanded upper hitbox.
• Aerial Snail
– Reduced attack startup.
– Now bounces opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Rainwater
– Reduced base damage scaling.
– Now depletes more R.I.S.C. level.
– Increased combo blowback scaling.
– Reduced combo blowback scaling on combos with Rainwater as a starter.
– Now causes more Wall Break value gain.
– Now less affected by combo blowback scaling.
– Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
– Expanded upper hitbox.
• Axl Bomber
– Changed input from 623 + HS (Mid-air) to 236 + HS (Mid-air).
– Now launches opponent less than previously when used multiple times in the same combo.
• Sickle Storm
– When blocked mid-air, the opponent now lands more quickly than before.
– Moved hitbox of the projectile lower.
Chip Zanuff
Chipp’s biggest strength is his amount of options, so we’ve made adjustments to emphasize this advantage.
The attack startup of Senshuu has been reduced, strengthening it as a mix-up tool.
Aerial Alpha Blade Diagonal can now be followed up on when it hits.
Gamma Blade, in addition to becoming more rewarding due to his increase in options, is now more difficult to counter.
Changes
• Crouching K
– Decreasd knockback.
• Close Standing S
– Reduced recovery.
• Far Standing S
– Reduced hurtbox during attack startup.
• Jumping P
– Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping K
– Now launches opponent higher.
• Alpha Blade Diagonal
– No longer hits opponent when more than a set distance apart.
• Aerial Alpha Blade Horizontal
– No longer hits opponent when more than a set distance apart.
– Collision detection now activates sooner.
• Aerial Alpha Blade Diagonal
– Chipp now lands a greater distance forward than before.
– Decreased recovery.
– No longer hits opponent when more than a set distance apart.
– Now depletes more R.I.S.C. level.
– Increased combo blowback scaling.
– Now causes more Wall Break value gain.
– Now launches opponent higher on grounded hit.
• Beta Blade (All Versions)
– Can no longer be Roman Canceled while the opponent’s Gold Psych Burst is active.
– When blocked mid-air, the opponent now lands more quickly than before.
– Increased attack startup.
• Gamma Blade
– Increased attack level.
– Now launches opponent higher on grounded hit.
– Now launches opponent lower, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
– Now depletes more R.I.S.C. level.
– Increased combo blowback scaling.
– Now causes more Wall Break value gain.
– Now launches opponent less than previously when used multiple times in the same combo.
– Increased tumble duration.
• Senshuu
– Reduced attack startup.
– Reduced recovery.
– Increased movement speed.
– Now creates less distance with opponent on hit in the corner.
– The opponent can now recover after landing.
– Now depletes less R.I.S.C. level.
– Reduced combo blowback scaling on combos with Senshuu as a starter.
– Now causes less Wall Break value gain.
– Now bounces opponent lower, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Banki Messai
– Changed input from 236236+K to 236236+P.
Potemkin
Garuda Impact is now easier to follow-up when near the corner even on aerial hit, making punishing the opponent’s back dash more rewarding.
Giganter Kai used to function as both an invincible move and as a way to maintain offense. It no longer has invincibility, but has been improved as a tool to maintain offensive pressure. It now works in a blockstring after forward + K, opening up the potential for a high-low mix-up with his Dust Attack or Sweep, or going for Guard Crush with Garuda Impact.
Changes
• Standing K
– Reduced frontal hurbox.
• Crouching K
– Decreased knockback.
• Crouching S
– Reduced frontal hurtbox.
• Standing HS
– Reduced frontal hurtbox.
• Forward + HS
– Reduced frontal hurtbox.
– Reduced horizontal blowback distance.
– The opponent can no longer recover after landing on counter hit.
– Reduced tumble duration on counter hit.
• Jumping P
– Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping K
– Now launches opponent lower.
• Potemkin Buster
– Reduced frontal hurtbox.
• Mega Fist (Forward)
– Reduced damage.
• Mega Fist (Backward
– Reduced damage.
• Hammer Fall
– The opponent can no longer recover after landing on counter hit.
– Increased maximum forward movement time possible.
• F.D.B.
– Reduced base damage scaling.
– Now depletes less R.I.S.C. level.
– Reduced combo blowback scaling.
– Now causes less Wall Break value gain.
• Garuda Impact
– Decreased damage.
– Removed wall bounce effect.
– Added tumble effect.
• Giganter Kai
– Projectile now appears even if the strike hit lands. Damage and blowback adjusted in line with this change.
– Removed invincibility.
– Increased duration of Tension penalty.
– Reduced attack startup.
– Reduced recovery.
– Expanded hitbox of the strike hit.
– No longer gains Tension when the strike hit lands.
– The projectile now decelerates when close to the corner.
Faust
With buffs to Standing K and Far Standing S, Faust can now take the advantage during grounded neutral more easily. In addition, Mini Fausts now attack more quickly to better prevent the opponent’s approach, making it easier to use “What Could This Be?” to throw items.
The decrease to the attack startup of the P and K versions of Scarecrow make them more viable as surprise attacks. They can also be better used in tandem with items now, as the attack begins once the button is released.
Faust’s position after the Bone-crushing Excitement cinematic has been adjusted, making it easier to trigger Wall Break.
Changes
• Forward + P
– Now launches opponent higher.
• Standing K
– Expanded lower hitbox.
• Crouching K
– Reduced attack startup.
• Close Standing S
– Reduced recovery.
• Far Standing S
– Reduced recovery.
– Reduced frontal hurtbox.
• Crouching SS
– Now launches opponent on grounded hit.
– Now launches opponent higher.
• Standing HS (Follow-up)
– The opponent can no longer recover after landing on counter hit.
• Forward + HS
– Added stagger effect.
• Jumping P
– Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping K
– Now launches opponent higher.
• Jumping Down + K
– Increased damage.
• Jumping HS
– Reduced frontal hurtbox.
• Mix Mix Mix
– Made the timing for controlling Faust’s movement direction backwards or forwards inputs faster.
– Blowback direction now matches the direction Faust is facing.
– The final hit during the active frames now has the same properties, regardless of the number of hits.
• Banana Peel
– Banana peels can no longer hit multiple characters at the same time.
• Afro (Explosion)
– Added guard crush effect.
• Meteors
– Added ground bounce effect.
– Blowback direction now matches the direction the meteors are falling from.
• Mini Faust
– Hitbox now activates directly after coming into contact with the opponent or being attacked.
• Scarecrow
– Now only charges if the same button used to activate the attack is held down.
• Scarecrow (P and K Versions)
– Now launches opponent higher.
– Reduced attack startup.
• Scarecrow (All Versions)
– Attack animation now begins when the button is released.
• Thrust
– Reduced frontal hurtbox.
• Love
– Increased damage of initial hit.
– Projectile now appears even when the move is Roman Canceled at an earlier point than before.
• Bone-Crushing Excitement
– Expanded upper hitbox.
– Blowback direction now matches the direction Faust is facing.
– Faust is now closer to the opponent after the cinematic ends.
Millia Rage
Millia’s grounded neutral game has improved due to the increased range and reduced startup of Far Standing S.
The changes to Jumping D, Kapel, and other moves make for more opportunities to trip the opponent up and deal damage after going on the offensive with Jumping HS during an air dash.
Her okizeme after knocking the opponent down has improved due to the decrease in recovery for the HS version of Tandem Top.
Changes
• Crouching P
– Reduced attack startup.
• Crouching K
– Reduced knockback.
– Reduced upper hurtbox.
• Close Standing S
– Reduced recovery.
– Changed the on-hit effect of the second hit.
• Far Standing S
– Reduced attack startup.
– Expanded frontal hitbox and hurtbox.
• Standing HS
– Reduced frontal hurtbox.
• Jumping P
– Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping K
– Now launches opponent higher.
• Jumping S
– Reduced frontal hurtbox.
• Jumping D
– Expanded frontal hitbox and reduced hurtbox.
– Now launches opponent on grounded hit.
• Ground Throw
– Increased recovery upon successful throw.
• Bad Moon
– The final hit now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Turbo Fall
– Reduced recovery.
• Tandem Top (All Versions)
– Reduced recovery.
– Hitbox no longer disappears when Millia blocks the opponent’s attack.
• Tandem Top (S Version)
– Increased knockback.
• Iron Savior
– Decreased horizontal blowback distance.
– Expanded frontal hitbox.
• Lust Shaker
– Fixed a bug where the final hit would sometimes not cause blowback.
• Kapel
– Changed properties from strike to projectile.
– Reduced recovery.
– Now affected by momentum.
– Increased damage.
– Expanded hitbox.
• Winger
– Increased attack startup.
– Increased recovery.
– When blocked mid-air, the opponent now lands more quickly than before.
Zato-1
When Eddie is summoned, Zato can now take more time going on the offense due to the reduced rate of meter consumption.
Increasing the deceleration as Jumping D comes out makes it less likely for him to land, improving its utility as an overhead. He can trip up the opponent with difficult to react to strings from aerial attacks or Forward + HS.
The decrease in combo blowback and other kinds of scaling makes it more rewarding to use “That’s a lot!” in combos or strings even if the drills hit multiple times.
Changes
• Eddie
– Reduced meter depletion when not attacking.
• Forward + P
– Adjusted animation of opponent character on hit.
• Crouching K
– Reduced knockback.
– Reduced attack startup.
• Close Standing S
– Reduced recovery.
• Crouching S
– Reduced frontal hurtbox.
• Standing HS
– Increased damage.
• Crouching HS
– Decreased damage.
• Forward + HS
– Reduced descent speed.
• Jumping P
– Active frames now continue from the initial hit to the final hit.
– Expanded the lower hitbox and hurtbox of the initial hit.
• Jumping K
– Now launches opponent higher.
• Jumping HS
– The first half of the active frames now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping D
– Increased deceleration during startup.
• “Pierce”
– Delayed the timing when the Eddie gauge is depleted.
– Initial hit now launches opponent higher. Reduced attack startup of second hit.
• “That’s a lot!”
– Delayed the timing when the Eddie gauge is depleted.
– Decreased damage.
– All types of scaling will now only be applied once, even when the projectiles hit multiple times.
• “Leap”
– Decreased damage.
– Expanded hurtbox.
• Amorphous
– Reduced attack startup.
– Increased movement speed of hitbox.
Ramlethal
Adjustments to the attack startup and recovery of Crouching S have improved its utility as a poke, as its lack of range compared to Far Standing S made it less useful previously.
Ramlethal is now closer to the opponent after Dauro hits on the ground, meaning she can continue her offense with Close Standing S depending on spacing.
The decreased height of Agresa Ordono’s ascent makes it easier to use in neutral.
The damage distribution of Calvados has been adjusted, making it deal more damage when used in combos to distinguish it from her invincible move, Mortobato.
Changes
• Dash Cancel
-Increased recovery.
• Crouching K
-Decreased knockback.
• Close Standing S
-Decreased recovery.
• Far Standing S
-Reduced upper hitbox.
• Crouching S
-Reduced attack startup.
-Reduced recovery.
• Standing HS
-Reduced upper hitbox.
• Jumping P
-Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping K
-Now launches opponent higher.
• Bajoneto (All Versions)
-Delayed timing when the projectile appears.
-Attack startup remains unchanged.
-If Ramlethal takes damage after firing a sword and before it reaches the corner, the hitbox disappears and the sword will be placed on the ground.
-Decreased damage.
-Reduced hitbox of the explosion.
• Dauro
-Increased movement distance.
-No longer causes collision detection push-box to expand.
• Agresa Ordono
-Reduced deceleration and lowered height of ascent.
• Calvados
-Decreased damage of all hits other than the final hit, and increased damage of final hit.
• Mortobato
-Increased recovery.
-When blocked mid-air, the opponent now lands more quickly than before.
Leo Whitefang
The changes to Zweites Kaltes Gestdber mean that even when the opponent is in the corner, Leo can go into Brynhildr Stance, the same as mid-screen.
Due to the disparity in difficulty of punishing and dealing with his Sweep depending on the opponent’s character, its recovery and knockback have been adjusted.
Although Leo will be open to a counterattack at close range, Sweep during a dash can function as a lunge attack.
Changes
• Standing K
– Increased recovery.
• Crouching K
– Decreased knockback.
• Close Standing S
– Reduced recovery.
• Crouching S
– Reduced recovery.
• Command Normal 5 (HS While Holding Far Standing S or S While Holding Standing HS)
– Can now withstand the opponent’s attacks until directly before the attack is active.
• Sweep
– Expanded lower hitbox.
– Increased recovery.
– Decreased knockback.
– Increased movement speed.
– Now is more affected by dash momentum.
– Now launches opponent higher on counter hit.
• Jumping P
– Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping K
– Now launches opponent higher.
• Jumping S
– Second hit now launches opponent lower.
• Jumping HS
– Decreased frontal hurtbox.
– Now launches opponent lower.
• Jumping D
– Now bounces opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Eisensturm (All Versions)
– Increased attack startup.
– Can no longer be Roman Canceled while the opponent’s Gold Psych Burst is active.
– When blocked mid-air, the opponent now lands more quickly than before.
• Zweites Kaltes Gestober
– Now crosses over behind opponent even when they are in the corner.
• Turbulenz
– The opponent can now recover after landing.
• K During Brynhildr Stance
– Increased damage.
– Now triggers slow-down effect on counter hit.
• Blitzschlag
– Reduced base damage scaling.
– Now depletes less R.I.S.C. level.
– Reduced combo blowback scaling.
– Now causes less Wall Break value gain.
Nagoriyuki
The properties of moves such as Far Standing S and Crouching S now vary depending on the Blood Gauge. This means there is a greater benefit to keeping the Blood Gauge high than before.
As Kamuriyuki was significantly stronger than Zarameyuki and Shizuriyuki, the situation on block is now less advantageous.
The later part of Fukyo can now be canceled into some special moves, opening up greater possibilities for using Fukyo in neutral.
Changes
• Crouching K
– Decreased knockback.
• Far Standing S
– Attack startup now varies depending on the Blood Gauge.
– Damage and chip damage now varies depending on the Blood Gauge.
• Far Standing S (Follow-up)
– Damage and chip damage now varies depending on the Blood Gauge.
• Far Standing S (Follow-up Final Hit)
– Damage and chip damage now varies depending on the Blood Gauge.
• Crouching S
– Attack startup now varies depending on the Blood Gauge.
– Damage and chip damage now varies depending on the Blood Gauge.
• Crouching HS
– Reduced lower hitbox.
• Jumping P
– Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping K
– Now launches opponent higher.
• Jumping S
– Attack startup now varies depending on the Blood Gauge.
– Damage and chip damage now varies depending on the Blood Gauge.
• Jumping HS
– Chip damage now varies depending on the Blood Gauge.
• Jumping D
– Attack startup now varies depending on the Blood Gauge.
– Damage and chip damage now varies depending on the Blood Gauge.
• Blood Rage
– Decreased opponent’s reeling time during Guard Crush.
• Zarameyuki
– Delayed the timing when the Blood Gauge begins to increase.
• Kamuriyuki
– Delayed the timing when the Blood Gauge begins to increase.
– Decreased knockback.
– Increased horizontal blowback distance.
– No longer causes collision detection push-box to expand.
– Increased recovery.
– Increased movement distance.
– Momentum now remains when canceling into other special moves.
• Shizuriyuki
– Delayed the timing when the Blood Gauge begins to increase.
– Added ground bounce effect to the second hit.
• Fukyo (All Versions)
– Delayed the timing when the Blood Gauge begins to increase.
– The later half of the move can now be canceled into some special moves.
– Momentum now remains when canceling into other special moves.
• Wasureyuki
– Increased recovery when the follow-up cinematic is not triggered.
– Now bounces opponent higher when the initial hit connects without triggering the follow-up cinematic.
– When blocked mid-air, the opponent now lands more quickly than before.
Giovanna
We’ve made adjustments to emphasize the distinctive features of each special move.
After Giovanna leaps up during Sol Poente, her forward movement can now be controlled with backwards or forwards inputs. The reduced startup also increases its utility as a mix-up tool.
The decreased recovery of Trovao further strengthens its ability to maintain offensive pressure.
Sol Nascente now functions better as an anti-air move due to the expanded hitbox.
Changes
• Dash
-Movement distance can now be altered with backwards or forwards inputs during the animation.
• Normal Moves and Command Normals
-Added chip damage when at over 50% Tension.
• Crouching K
-Decreased knockback.
-Expanded upper hitbox and hurtbox.
• Far Standing S
-Decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Sweep
-Increased recovery.
-No longer hits opponent when more than a set distance apart.
• Jumping P
-Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping K
-Now launches opponent higher.
• Jumping S
-Reduced upper hurtbox.
• Jumping HS
-Now launches opponent lower.
• Jumping D
-Decreased damage.
-The second hit now launches opponent higher.
• Ground Throw
-Reduced throw range.
• Sepultura
-Decreased damage.
-Reduced lower hitbox and hurtbox.
• Trovao
-Expanded the maximum distance with opponent from which it can connect.
-Increased active frames.
-Reduced recovery.
• Sol Nascente
-Reduced lower hitbox and extended upper hitbox.
• Sol Poente (All Versions)
-Expanded lower hitbox and hurtbox.
-Movement distance now varies depending on forwards or backwards inputs during the animation.
-The opponent can now recover after landing.
-Now bounces opponent higher.
-Increased recovery.
-Increased attack level of the second hit.
-Reduced attack startup of the second hit.
• Sol Poente
-Now affected by momentum.
• Ventania
-Increased attack startup.
Anji Mito
Fuujin and its follow-ups have improved utility.
The decrease in recovery of Fuujin makes it harder to punish on block. It’s now easier to maintain the offensive after the opponent blocks Shin: Ichishiki and Rin’s decreased startup makes it a better mix-up tool.
As the movement speed of Shitsu decelerates near the corner, it functions better as an okizeme tool in the corner. Long story short, Anji Mito has buffs aplenty to make him viable for tournament play.
Changes
• Crouching K
-Decreased knockback.
•Close Standing S
-Reduced recovery.
•Far Standing S
-Reduced attack startup.
-Reduced frontal hurtbox.
•Crouching S
-Reduced attack startup.
-Reduced frontal hurtbox.
-No longer in counter hit state after the active frames end.
• Standing HS
-Opponent is now in forced crouching state on grounded counter hit.
• Jumping P
-Now launches opponent higher with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
•Jumping K
-Now launches opponent higher.
•Jumping HS
-Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping D
-Expanded frontal hitbox and reduced hurtbox.
•Shitsu
-The projectile now decelerates when close to the corner.
•Fuujin
-Reduced recovery.
•Fuujin (Charged)
-Increased attack level.
-No longer launches opponent on grounded hit.
•Shin: Ichishiki
-Increased attack level.
•Nagiha
-Increased attack startup.
•Rin
-Reduced attack startup.
-Reduced recovery.
-Now depletes less RISC level.
-Decreased combo blowback scaling for combos with Rin as a starter,
-Now causes less Wall Break value gain.
-Now bounces opponent lower, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
•Kou
-Decreased damage of the second hit.
-The opponent can now recover after landing.
• Issei Ougi: Sai
-Increased damage.
I-No
I-No now has more options to pressure the opponent from mid to far range, in addition to closing in quickly from mid-range to start her powerful mix-up game.
The additional projectile range for Chemical Love makes it easier to hit the opponent.
Aerial Antidepressant Scale no has different utility than the grounded version due to the increase in movement speed of the projectile.
As Stroke the Big Tree (HS Version) was an incredibly powerful tool for continuing offense, this capability has been reduced by increasing its recovery while maintaining its speed and reward on hit.
Changes
• Air Dash
– Trajectory can now be altered with Up or Down inputs.
• Air Back Dash
– Trajectory can now be altered with Up or Down inputs.
• Crouching P
– Reduced attack startup.
• Crouching K
– Decreased knockback.
– Reduced upper hurtbox.
• Close Standing S
– Reduced recovery.
• Crouching S
– Reduced attack startup.
– Expanded frontal hitbox and hurtbox.
• Jumping P
– Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping K
– Now launches opponent higher.
– Expanded back hitbox and hurtbox.
• Antidepressant Scale (All Versions)
– Trajectory is now easier to alter with Up or Down inputs after activation.
– Projectile now appears even when the move is Roman Canceled at an earlier point than before.
– Fixed a bug where the attack would sometimes remain on screen longer than intended after the hitbox disappears.
• Aerial Antidepressant Scale
– Increased the movement speed of the projectile.
– Increased recovery.
• Chemical Love
– Increased active frames.
• Stroke the Big Tree (HS Version)
– Increased recovery.
– Increased stagger duration.
– Decreased knockback on hit.
• Sultry Performance (HS Version)
– The final hit during the active frames now has the same properties, regardless of the number of hits.
• Ultimate Fortissimo
– Increased attack startup.
• Aerial Ultimate Fortissimo
– I-No can no longer land as the move comes out.
Goldlewis Dickinson
Goldlewis is now capable of more powerful offense and neutral due to changes to some of his normals, including Standing HS and Jumping D, as well as buffs to Thunderbird and Burn It Down.
Due to the increase of movement speed and momentum for 6HS, it is extremely potent when canceled into Behemoth Typhoon.
The properties of Thunderbird now vary depending on Goldlewis’ Security Level.
Changes
• Forward + P
Extended lower hitbox.
• Crouching K
Decreased knockback.
Reduced recovery.
• Close Standing S
Reduced recovery.
• Far Standing S
Now moves forward.
Reduced frontal hurtbox.
• Standing HS
Expanded frontal hitbox.
• Forward + HS
Increased movement speed.
Now maintains momentum.
• Jumping P
Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping K
Now launches opponent higher.
• Jumping S
Reduced frontal hurtbox.
• Jumping D
Reduced frontal hurtbox.
Reduced attack startup.
• Thunderbird
Delayed the timing of the Security Level reset.
Recovery now varies depending on the Security Level.
Clash level now varies depending on the Security Level.
The projectile now decelerates when close to the corner.
Active frames now extend after connecting with opponent.
Decreased horizontal blowback distance except for the final hit.
The timing when the hitbox no longer disappears if Goldlewis takes damage after firing the projectile now varies depending on the Security Level.
Removed the set distance with opponent required for the final hit to connect.
The opponent can no longer recover after landing.
• Skyfish
Delayed the timing of the Security Level reset.
• Down With the System
When blocked mid-air, the opponent now lands more quickly than before.
• Burn It Down
Reduced recovery.
Increased attack level.
Jack-O

Due to the increase to the initial Servant Gauge level, Jack-O now has more freedom to use Servants inneutral or combos right after the round starts.
Throw Servant and Servants hit by Servant Shoot would often lose against other projectiles despite requiring more steps to activate. This has been improved by increasing the clash level of Servants.
Changes
• Servant Gauge
– Increased gauge value at round-start.
• Crouching P
– Reduced attack startup.
• Standing K
– Reduced recovery.
• Crouching K
– Reduced attack startup.
– Reduced recovery.
– Decreased knockback.
• Close Standing S
– Reduced recovery.
• Crouching HS
– Decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Sweep
– Reduced attack startup.
• Jumping P
– Now launches opponent higher, with reduced horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping K
– Now launches opponent higher.
• Jumping HS
– Expanded the lower hitbox and hurtbox of the initial hit.
• Jumping D
– Can now be jump canceled and air dash canceled.
– Can now be canceled into a special move.
– Can now be canceled into a Finish Blow during a Homing Jump.
• Throw Servant (All Versions)
– Reduced recovery.
– Increased clash level of the servant.
• Release Servant (All Versions)
– Made the timing of the Tension Gauge increase upon special move activation faster.
• Recover Servant (All Versions)
– Reduced recovery.
• Recover Servant (All Versions) (While Lifting a Servant)
– Made the timing of the Tension Gauge increase upon special move activation faster.
• Attack Command (All Versions)
– Reduced attack startup and recovery.
– No change to frame advantage.
• Attack Command (All Versions) (While Lifting a Servant)
– Made the timing of the Tension Gauge increase upon special move activation faster.
• Attack Command (All Versions) (While Lifting a Servant)
– Now deals damage.
• Defend Command (All Versions) (Except for While Lifting a Servant)
– Increased the time window during which servants can withstand attacks.
– Expanded servants’ hitbox.
• Defend Command (All Versions) (While Lifting a Servant)
– Made the timing of the Tension Gauge increase upon special move activation faster.
• Countdown (All Versions) (While Lifting a Servant)
– Made the timing of the Tension Gauge increase upon special move activation faster.
• Servant Shoot (All Versions)
– Increased active frames and reduced recovery.
– No change to frame advantage.
– Increased clash level of the servant.
• Aerial Servant Shoot (All Versions)
– Reduced deceleration.
– Expanded hitbox and hurtbox.
• Forever Elysion Driver
– Servants are now recovered immediately upon activation.
Happy Chaos

The amount of Concentration depleted now varies depending on the distance between Chaos and his opponent. It’s more difficult than before to continually use Fire from long range. On the other hand, he can now use powerful strings at close range while expending less Concentration.
The sight now targets the opponent when they block At The Ready (236S) meaning he can now maintain his offense more effectively.
As Fire can be used during the newly-added dash cancels, he can easily approach from mid-range better than before.
Changes
• Concentration
– Amount of Concentration depleted while readying the gun now varies depending on distance with opponent.
• Crouching P
– Reduced attack startup.
• Crouching K
– Decreased knockback.
• Close Standing S
– Reduced recovery.
• Far Standing S
– Increased knockback.
– Reduced recovery.
– Increased movement speed.
• Crouching S
– Expanded upper hitbox and hurtbox.
• Jumping P
– Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping K
– Now launches opponent higher.
• Jumping Down + K
– Reduced attack startup.
– Reduced recovery after connecting with opponent.
– Decreased height of bounce after connecting with opponent.
• At the Ready (QCF+S)
– Reduced recovery.
– Increased base damage scaling.
– Now depletes more R.I.S.C. level.
– Increased combo blowback scaling.
– Increased combo blowback scaling of combos with At the Ready as a starter.
– Now causes more Wall Break value gain.
• Fire
– Hitbox now disappears when Chaos takes damage.
– Decreased knockback.
• Fire (During Steady Aim)
– Decreased damage.
• Steady Aim
– Made the timing of the Tension Gauge increase upon special move activation faster.
– Reduced recovery after exiting stance with QCB+S.
• Reload
– Made the timing of the Tension Gauge increase upon special move activation faster.
– Chaos now remains in counter hit state until the end of the animation.
• Focus
– Made the timing of the Tension Gauge increase upon special move activation faster.
• Roll
– Can now use Fire sooner than before.
– Increased movement speed.
• Scapegoat
– Increased health depletion on activation.
– Properties now vary when activated at low health.
• Curse
– Effect now ends when Chaos takes damage.
– Made the timing of the Tension Gauge increase upon special move activation faster.
Baiken

Her changes in the update make it easier for Baiken to maintain her offense. The decreased recovery of the S version of Kabari means she can have the advantage while attacking when the opponent is tethered.
Her combos are more likely to connect from a certain distance due to the expanded hitbox of Tatami Gaeshi and the momentum remaining after cancelling 6K.
Changes
• Standing P
Reduced attack startup.
• Crouching K
Decreased knockback.
• Forward + K
Momentum now remains when canceled.
• Close Standing S
Reduced recovery.
• Far Standing S
Reduced attack startup.
Reduced frontal hurtbox.
• Crouching S
Reduced recovery.
Reduced frontal hurtbox.
• Crouching HS
No longer hits opponent when more than a set distance apart.
Reduced upper hurtbox.
• Jumping P
Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping K
Now launches opponent higher.
• Tatami Gaeshi
Now activates even after an upwards input (Up, Up-forward, or Up-backwards).
Expanded frontal hitbox of the strike.
• Aerial Tatami Gaeshi
Expanded back hitbox of the projectile during descent.
• Kabari (S Version)
Now activates even after an upwards input ( Up , Up-forward, or Up-backwards).
Increased attack startup.
Reduced recovery.
Increased knockback.
On grounded hit, the tether no longer pulls the opponent in during the animation.
• Kabari (HS Version)
Now activates even after an upwards input (Up, Up-forward, or up-backwards).
Now less affected by combo blowback scaling.
• Kabari (HS Version)
Follow-up Now triggers counter hit effect.
Blowback direction now matches the direction Baiken is facing.
Expanded lower hitbox.
No longer in counter hit state after the active frames end.
No longer hits opponent when more than a set distance apart.
Increased recovery on block.
• Youzansen
Reduced landing recovery.
Increased damage.
• Hiiragi
Reduced recovery after successful parry as well as when unsuccessful.
• Tsurane Sanzu-watashi
When blocked mid-air, the opponent now lands more quickly than before.
Increased attack startup.
Decreased knockback.
Testament

Moves like Grave Reaper have been strengthened, as there were many situations where Testament could not fully launch an offensive in both neutral and on the opponent’s wakeup.
The situation after landing the strike hit of the S version of Grave Reaper has been improved. It’s easier to land Unholy Diver as a meaty attack. Both aerial and grounded HS versions of Grave Reaper have less attack startup, and are easier to use in combos and strings.
Unholy Diver now causes less blowback on aerial hit, making it easier to follow-up on. This creates an opportunity to deal damage while carrying the opponent closer to the corner.

Changes
• Crow
– Fixed a bug where the crow would sometimes not behave as intended after a Wall Break sequence.
• Air Dash
– Shortened dash time, adjusting the value to match other characters.
• Jump Landing
– Fixed a bug where Testament’s lower hurtbox would sometimes disappear at the instant of landing.
• Standing K
– Reduced recovery.
• Crouching K
– Decreased knockback.
– Reduced attack startup.
• Close Standing S
– Reduced recovery.
• Far Standing S
– Reduced attack startup.
– Reduced recovery.
– Reduced frontal hurtbox.
• Crouching S
– Reduced attack startup.
– Reduced frontal hurtbox.
• Standing HS
– Reduced recovery.
• Forward + HS
– Decreased horizontal blowback distance.
– Reduced attack startup.
• Jumping P
– Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Jumping K
– Now launches opponent higher.
• Jumping S
– Reduced frontal hurtbox.
• Grave Reaper (All Versions)
– Now activates even after an upwards input (Up, Up-forward, or Up-back).
– Succubus remains on-screen longer.
– Fixed a bug where it would sometimes hit multiple times.
• Grounded Grave Reaper (All Versions)
– Expanded frontal hitbox and hurtbox of the strike.
• Grave Reaper (S Version)
– The strike hit now launches the opponent higher.
• Grave Reaper (HS Version)
– Expanded lower hitbox of the projectile as it comes out.
• Grave Reaper (All S Versions)
– Expanded back hitbox of the projectile.
• Grave Reaper (All HS Versions)
– Reduced attack startup.
• Unholy Diver
– Now launches opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
– Increased active frames after Succubus transformation.
– Expanded hitbox after Succubus transformation.
– The crow will now always fly forward in a straight line when the button is held, even if a Succubus is on-screen.
• Possession
– Now activates even after an upwards input (Up, Up-forward, or Up-back).
• Arbiter Sign (All Versions)
– Reduced recovery.
• Nostrovia
– Initial hit now bounces opponent higher, with decreased horizontal blowback distance.
• Calamity One
– When blocked mid-air, the opponent now lands more quickly than before.


Az Samad’s Top 10 Things He Loved About His Favourite Game OST Of 2022

This here’s a guest post from our game industry pals from Southeast Asia & the world. Head here to see more of Az Samad’s work.
I have a fond place in my heart for both 8-bit and 16-bit era 2-D scrolling games. Castlevania, Megaman, and Metroid were all staples of my early years playing video games. The games were great and the music was embedded into my mind.
With Shovel Knight Dig, I was transported back to the fun of that era & also to the joy of the music that accompanies the adventure.

Here are 10 things that I like about the soundtrack by Jake Kaufman:
1) Thematic Goodness

Overground (Main) introduces the main theme that we hear in different versions throughout the game. Melodically and harmonically this is well written and gives us the vibe of the game.

The Overground (Campfire) version is exciting and grand.

The Overground (Hoofman’s Shop) version is fun with the reggae vibe and the syncopated bass line.
2) Epic Stress Boss Battle Music
So much of the fun from classic 2-D scrolling games to me are the boss battles. From my earliest memories playing Mega Man (or Rockman depending when I played it), I remember the stress and thought that came with defeating bosses. The boss battle music in Shovel Knight Dig has some of classic hallmarks of boss fighting including odd meters, rhythmic hits and percussive sections.

Boss – The Claim Jumper is one that has some nice dramatic melodies. I like!
3) Beautiful Contrapuntal Writing

Hegemony (Crystal Core) has these intertwining melodies which really is such great ear candy. Throughout the game, you can hear the harmonies being implied by the single note melodic lines in the background. Although this was probably due to the polyphonic limitations of the technology of the era, this has become a part of the aethetic.
4) Rhythmic Build Up

This is really obvious in the boss fights but most of the music in the game has nice little rhythmic build ups as well. It’s one thing to write good melodic themes, but it’s another thing to pay attention to the transitions and build ups.
5) That Djents!

Fully Furnaced (Smeltworks) opens with this great metal riff. Man, I can really picture this sounding amazing if someone like Video Game Orchestra decides to do an arrangement of this piece.
Boss – The Awakening also has some of that metal vibe too.
6) It’s Funky And Jazzy Too!

In Thermal Vent (Secret Fountain), I get a little bit of that kind of Casiopea or Spyro Gyra vibe. It hints at smooth jazz, it borders on 70s funk but all in all it’s just really good music.
7) Quirky Catchy Melodies

Pest Friends (The Grub Pit) really captures the atmosphere of the level with the organic bug-filled world. This is probably one of my favorite tracks in the entire soundtrack.
8) Tasteful Stereo

So much of the mix shines when you listen to it on earphones or headphones. Beware the Depths and Hegemony (Crystal Core) are some examples of tracks where you can enjoy this (although it’s literally everywhere in the tracks). You gotta love all the ear candy, the choice of sounds that tickle your ears.
9) Background Ear Candy
And talking about ear candy, so much of the music with this aesthetic becomes special with the close attention to detail in the background. For me, sometimes it’s the little repeating notes and figures in the background that makes the obvious melodies in the foreground even more beautiful.

Check out examples of this in One Person’s Trash (Magic Landfill), although this again is everywhere in the game.
10) Interesting Harmonies
Growing up listening to music from the classic NES, Super Nintendo and Genesis games, I didn’t really know much about harmonies back then. Now, as a musician I really enjoy hearing the harmonic choices another composer makes in his music. Jake Kaufman does a fine job with the chords & chord progressions he uses in the soundtrack. There’s a lot of good stuff here.

To Shovel It All Up
The soundtrack to Shovel Knight Dig is a modern interpretation of the classic chiptune music from the 80s and 90s. Bundled with fun gameplay, procedural level generation and 16-bit graphic aesthetics instead of the 8-bit graphics of previous Shovel Knight games, the music certainly fits the game well.

About Az Samad
Az was the featured classical guitar soloist with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) for the Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy Kuala Lumpur premiere conducted by Arnie Roth (USA) at their three sold-out shows.
Az also performed for the South East Asian premiere of A New World: Intimate Music from Final Fantasy at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in Kuala Lumpur conducted by Arnie Roth (USA) and featuring pianist Benyamin Nuss (Germany).
Prior to moving back to Malaysia, Az played in a video game music band in San Francisco. He has also been interviewed on GameSpot and featured in the GameSpot Asia Beat Podcast. After receiving 4 degrees in music and previously making music in Berkeley, California; Az now is based in Kuala Lumpur.
He was the guest composer for the game, No Straight Roads by Metronomik. The DK West Encounter 1, 2 & 3 combined rap with Malaysian traditional music elements including Dikir Barat.


Destiny 2: The Witch Queen Will Be Out Next February

Bungie revealed a ton of information about Destiny 2’s latest expansion, The Witch Queen.
Destiny 2: The Witch Queen will feature a new story campaign that will be pretty action-packed, similar to other single-player campaigns like in Doom (2016) and Titanfall 2.
SavathÃ»n’s Throne World, a pocket Hive dimension she runs, will be the main setting for the expansion, with the Hive Guardians and new Lucid Brood being the main enemies you will fight against.

SavathÃ»n’s new enemies will be using the Light against the Guardians, and you by extension. Savathun herself is important in Destiny’s lore, since she’s the Taken King Oryx’s sister and clearly wants revenge. And yes, the new Hive Guardians have their own equally creepy Hive Ghosts.

New weapons include the Glaive, which has good utility melee and ranged attacks. You have to build your own Glaive in the game, meaning weapon-crafting will be a main thing in the expansion. Yep, you can build your own weapon with certain parameters, and the more you use them, the more powerful they get. The new expansion will have its own slew of new Exotic weapons and Throne World weapons; they’ll be revealed closer to the game’s release month.

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen also introduces a new Legendary Mode difficulty. It will feature harder enemies and limited respawn points. The new difficulty will scale according to your group.
In addition, Bungie will be celebrating its 30th anniversary by bringing in some cool loot and statues for players to buy. Oh, and the Gjallarhorn will be making its return in Destiny 2 starting December since its prolonged absence.

The return of the king.
The legendary Gjallarhorn returns this December in the 30th Anniversary Pack. pic.twitter.com/OusotyW7FW
— Destiny 2 (@DestinyTheGame) August 24, 2021

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen will be out on 2nd February, 2022 for PC, as well as Xbox and PlayStation consoles. The Collector’s Edition will have a replica of the Hive Guardian’s Ghost.

Is Destiny 2’s Story Over?
Far from it, but its main story arc will end. After Witch Queen, Bungie will be releasing two more expansions: Lightfall and The Final Shape. The latter will be the last game in the Light and Dark story arc built upon in Destiny 2.

However, the game itself will still go on even with that major story conclusion; this isn’t the game going in sunset.


Eldest Soul Trims Out Exploration In Favour Of Exhilarating Boss Fights

Platform: PC
Genre: 2D Soulsborne boss rush
If you love Soulsborne/Soulslike games but rather just cut to the chase and fight the genre’s tough-but-fair bosses in a 2D top-down fashion, Eldest Souls is going to be your 2021 indie jam. Despite its dubious title, the quality and design of this indie slaughterfest is anything but. Everything in this 2D action game is meticulously built to test your action limits, and you are sure to break a controller or two as you fail over and over getting mauled by the game’s adversaries the first 10 times.
Berserk
The story is this: there are Old Gods you need to kill in this place called the Citadel because they messed up the land you’re in. The area itself has its own story you need to explore for yourself, being a crusader wielding a giant two-handed sword, complete with lush 2D pixel art and a harrowing-yet-kinda-bright art direction.
However, it’s all kept tight and linear, to the point where all you need to worry about is killing the bosses in the area. There are some quests you can partake in to get special items that buff you, but that’s up to you if you want to uncover them. The meticulous of you lot will find a lot to uncover here.
Each boss is unique and oozes character, from a giant guard with dark tendrils to even a Deer God. They will test your mettle and unleash a few surprises your way. If you think the game’s 2D pixel art style looks inviting, a couple of fights with these Old Gods will prove otherwise. Eldest Souls is tough as all hell, with most of the bosses requiring you to die multiple deaths to get the hang of their patterns and rhythm.
While one or two of these monstrosities can be a tad cheap, each bout here strikes a fine line between fun and frustration. You’ll be itching to go at a particular boss one more time even with multiple deaths, with most of them being so close to completing the fight. Developer Fallen Flag Studio really nailed the essence of a Soulslike title without the exploration and minion-culling bits with the way the bosses fight and requiring you to pay attention and be patient.
And just like those From Software inspirations, charging in head-first and hoping for the best is not going to get you far. But when you beat them with just a pixel of your health left, you feel just damn good conquering these behemoths and feel proud that you’ve done it with skill and perseverance.
I Got Soul, But I’m Not A Soldier

To help you out, you have the aforementioned giant two-handed sword that you can charge to do a forward power slash that heals you (Bloodthirst state), a Blood Burst attack that you can unleash if you land a charged slash hit, and a dash for evasion. But the latter has a catch: you only can have up to three dashes before you’re out. Use up all three at one go, and you can’t use it until at least one dash pip on the meter is filled up.
The dash is Eldest Souls’ stamina mechanic; you cannot spam this evasive technique. Some bosses will take advantage of this restriction with multiple attacks in succession that seem quick from the get-go. You’ll have to find ways to evade without relying so much on the dash at times.
Personally, I find some fights really taxing but fun when I realize that some of the Old God’s attacks can be dodged by just moving and weaving carefully and craftily on the battlefield, just a few pixels away from an attack’s hitbox. Brilliant, really.
You also have three different skill trees to spec in to complement your playstyle. See, after killing an Old God, you get a skill point and a Shard. The former can be allocated to either the Windslide (Green), Berserk Slash (Red), and Counter (Blue) tree.
They’re pretty self-explanatory: Windslide makes you move fast and hit quick, Berserk Slash lets you hit super-hard consecutively, and Counter lets you play defensively to punish enemy attacks.Â After many, many deaths and attempts at luck, I just stuck with the Windslide skill tree because I like to dart around the field like Muhammad Ali. Your playstyle may vary, but Eldest Souls offers flexibility to brave the bosses. This basically makes up for the game’s lack of weaponry; the sword is all you got for this 8-hour boss rush.
Controls are spot-on too. Dodges, slashes, and movement are smooth and precise. Even with my countless cock-ups and deaths, I blame myself more than the controls. They really are close to perfect.
Have Sword, Will Travel

Eldest Souls, while derivatively named, is a ball of a time that’s catered specifically towards hardcore action game fans who want strict controls and an actual challenge. All others need not apply especially if Dark Souls, Sekiro, and all its clones out there aren’t your cups of tea.
This indie title is definitely worth the 8-plus hours, whether you want to complete it in one playthrough or you want to go for New Game Plus with beefed-up Old Gods and an Arena mode to test out your speedrunning skills.
Pros

Challenging and thrilling boss fights.
Restricted dash mechanic adds further challenge & strategy.
Decent customizable fight style options.
More to do post-game with New Game Plus & Arena Mode.

Cons

Not for folks who hate Soulsborne games.
Last boss can be a pain.

Final Score: 80/100


Singapore Earns Top Three Placing In Major Soulcalibur VI Tournament

The last major Soulcalibur VI worldwide tournament of the year was pretty spectacular to watch, even if its thunder was stolen by the Capcom Cup 2018 on the same weekend. That’s a shame, because Southeast Asia should witness the high-level play of Singapore’s top calibre player Raymus “Shen Yuan” Chang.
The Siegfried user made his country proud by cementing Singapore as a dominant force in Soulcalibur VI with fast stance-switching and fast broadsword-swiping play.

Unfortunately, it didn’t last. Pro player BxA Party Wolf figured out how his Siegfried worked and proceeded to use Kilik to deliver faster hits and crazy-long verticals that can match even Siegfried’s. Party Wolf has been a thorn on his side since winners semi-finals, and even up to loser’s final where he secured a 3-1 victory against the Singaporean.

Despite the loss, third place in a worldwide setting isn’t anything to scoff at. In fact, the fact he and his Singapore pro player troupe Shen Chan, Zerokage, and Shen Ou flew all the way for this US-based tournament prove that they’re on a mission to make Singapore (and Southeast Asia to an extent) relevant in the 3D fighting game space. So far, they’ve succeeded.
Here’s the full list of top 8 players and their standings.
1.Linkorz
2.BxA Party Wolf
3. Shen Yuan
4. Saiyne
5. Dragon
5. Kinetic Clash
7. Woahhzz
7. Bluegod
Other NEC 19 Soulcalibur VI highlights
Linkorz using the same Siegfried stance move over and over again on an unsure Party Wolf.

This staredown, with Party Wolf’s Kilik losing life bit by bit. Talk about nerves of steel.

When in doubt, just grapple.

Ringout strat comedy featuring Shen Yuan and Kinetic Clash.

Here’s a nice hype moment between Party Wolf and RTD.

Protip: Raphael can dodge Azwel’s spinerooni charge attack.

Azwel that ends well…


Ubisoft Delays Watch_Dogs Legion And Other Major Titles

Despite being sequels to well-received games, both The Division 2 and Ghost Recon Breakpoint performed poorly in terms of sales. In the U.K., The Division 2 only achieved 20% of the original game’s opening week sales. Fortunately, it still got a lot of positive reviews across the board. Breakpoint did terribly in both sales and critical reception.
Ubisoft has just published their financial targets updates for the fiscal year of 2020 to 2021 which begins on 1 April 2020. In the document, the company has announced that Watch_Dogs Legion, Rainbow Six Quarantine, and Gods and Monsters will be delayed to “increase development time” following the poor sales shown by recent titles.
A shot from the Rainbow Six Quarantine cinematic trailer.

All of the games were scheduled for an early 2020 release except for Quarantine which hasn’t been given a specific release date in 2020. Due to the delays, Ubisoft now expects to release a lineup of five AAA games in the 2020 – 2021 fiscal year.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot states that three main reasons have been identified as to why Breakpoint and The Division 2 performed poorly in sales:

“First, it is harder to generate interest fora sequel to a Live multiplayer game, when prior iterations benefited from years of optimization. Consequently, we need to make sure there is more time between each iteration of Live games.
Second, our strategy of introducing gameplay innovations in our games has had a very positive impact on our brands. However, to win over players, these innovations need to be perfectly implemented in order to offer an optimal experience. This has not yet been sufficiently the case with Ghost Recon Breakpoint. While the change of formula has been very well received by some players, with an average daily playtime per player of over three hours, it also has been strongly rejected by a significant portion of the community.
Finally, Ghost Recon Breakpoint did not come in with enough differentiation factors, which prevented the gameâ€™s intrinsic qualities from standing out.”

Gods and Monsters.
As someone who played Breakpoint, I can definitely agree that the game didn’t come with enough “differentiation factors” because all it came with was a lot of bugs and glitches.
This announcement comes almost immediately after Naughty Dog’s announcement of delaying The Last of Us Part 2. As someone who’s read enough about how game developers are subjected to crunch to churn out games, I’m glad more companies are allowing developers to have more time to polish their games.
Thanks, PC Gamer.


Bless Mobile Is Now Available For Pre-Registration

Bless Mobile is the latest free-to-play mobile MMORPG from Korean developer Joycity and it is now open for pre-registration. Pre-registration is now live worldwide on the iOS App Store and Android Google Play Store.
In Bless Mobile, you can choose from four different races: Habichts, Pantera, Aqua Elf, or Masques. Once youâ€™re done, itâ€™s time to choose from the five different character classes to explore the world in. Whether you choose to be the brave Guardian, the meticulous Mage, the frivolous Ranger, the clever Paladin, or the mighty Berserker; you will be blessed by the Guardian character that resides in all the classes, and is unique to each one.
The mobile MMORPG also features a vast world that is described as a mix of Monster Hunter World and Final Fantasy XIV all in one. The ultra-intuitive and easy to use creation customization feature is a mobile RPG first. Instead of numbers and sliders, characters can be fully customized with a simple slide motion, delivering magnificently detailed customization, all while keeping it simple.
In addition to the traditional questing and hunting, the game provides opportunities for players to focus on fishing, collecting, and mining. Bless Mobile is also powered by Unreal Engine 4.
Check out the minimum mobile spec requirements below:
â€¢ Requirements: iOS(iPhone 6S and above), Android(Galaxy Note 5 and above


Halo Infinite Has Over 20 Million Players Fragging Each Other

Halo Infinite has, and will be, going places.
During the Microsoft second quarter earnings call this week, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the game has been played by over 20 million players since its Xbox, PC, and Game Pass release last December. Its racing game Forza Horizon 5 also has attracted 18 million players since its launch last November. Here’s the official wording from the call:
“The big bets we have made across content, community and cloud over the past few years are paying off. We saw record engagement as well as revenue this quarter. Game Pass has more than 25 million subscribers across PC and console.
We released new AAA titles this holiday to rave reviews and record usage. 18 million played Forza Horizon 5 and more than 20 million have played Halo Infinite, making it the biggestÂ Halo launch in history.”
Right now, the company is acquiring Activision Blizzard for close to US$70 billion.


PlayStation State Of Play February 2021: All The Games

During todayâ€™s PlayStation State Of Play February 2021 live stream, Sony announced many of the upcoming games slated to arrive on the PS4 and PS5 in the near future.

These include both third-party and first-party exclusives, which you can check out below:
Crash Bandicoot 4 It’s About Time

Taking full advantage of the PS5 hardware, Crash Bandicoot 4 Itâ€™s About Time presents Crash at its platforming best, starting with support for native 4K targeting 60 FPS (requires 4K compatible device) and enhanced 3D audio (with a compatible headset).
There will also be Activity Cards and DualSense controller integration (Adaptive triggers and haptic feedback). Owners of both the digital and physical versions of Crash Bandicoot 4 Itâ€™s About Time can upgrade from the PS4 to the enhanced PS5 version at no additional cost.
Crash Bandicoot 4 Itâ€™s About TimeÂ is slated to release for the PS5 on 12 March 2021. It’ll also be on Xbox Series.

Returnal

Returnal is slated to release exclusively for the PS5 on 30 April 2021. Check out some new gameplay footage below, featuring a lot of hardcore third-person shooting action and a story about memories:

Knockout City

Knockout City is a game where youâ€™ll team up with friends to take down rival Crews in epic multiplayer dodgeball battles. Beyond the standard dodgeball, youâ€™ll have plenty of Special Balls at your disposal to keep matches feeling fresh and dynamic.
The Bomb Ball starts ticking when you pick it up, and after a short time, it (unsurprisingly) explodes. Trap your opponents within the Cage Ball for an opportunity to turn them on their teammates or toss them off the side of the map. If you want some serious air, grab the Moon Ball. Youâ€™ll jump higher like youâ€™re on the surface of the moon, and hitting an enemy with it will practically knock them into outer space. Just announced today, the Sniper Ball will lock on to an enemy far across the map and snap to the target at crazy-fast speeds when thrown.
The standard game mode is Team KO, a multi-round 3v3 match, but there’ll be over 20 new playlists by the end of the year.
Knockout City is slated to release on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch and PC on 21 May 2021.

Sifu

Absolver developer Sloclap has announced third-person action game Sifu for PS5, PS4, and PC (Epic Games Store). It will launch sometime in 2021.
Featuring the gripping intensity of classic Kung Fu films with realistic and raw combat, Sifu tells the story of a young Kung Fu student who has spent their life training for a day of reckoning after the brutal murder of their entire family by a mysterious assassination squad. Hunt down the murderers one by one as you explore gang-ridden suburbs, hidden corners deep within the city, all the way to the cold hallways of corporate towers. Adaptation and careful positioning are the key to your survival and you must use everything at your disposal to succeed in your lifeâ€™s mission.
Sifuâ€˜s unique gameplay sits in the crossroads of two established and popular genres, mashing the intensity and timeless thrill of beat em ups with the gripping design of 3D character action games. Set against a detailed backdrop of a fictional Chinese city, you will uncover an ancient mystery via a series of difficult confrontations that will test your skills to their limit.
To overcome the odds that are heavily stacked against you, youâ€™ll need to rely on your mastery of Kung Fu, and on a magical pendant that will revive you after death. The cost of magic is dear, however, and you will age significantly every time you come back to life: time is the price you will pay for your revenge.
Exquisitely hand-drawn art styles and the muted colour palette lend themselves to Kung Fu film classics where themes of revenge and redemption are timeless tales, all perfectly blending with Sloclapâ€™s martial arts gameplay expertise, to create a truly unique singleplayer Kung Fu game.
It’s fitting that Sloclap is making this kind of game, seeing as the developer’s last title was the awesome third-person close-combat game Absolver.Â

Solar Ash

Solar Ash is a third-person action platformer with a massive scale and a focus on fluidity in movement. We really wanted to push scale on multiple fronts. Our traversable world is huge, featuring sunken cities, vast water shelves, and dangerous lava zones for players to fight through and explore.
Youâ€™ll play as Rei, a Voidrunner looking to save her homeworld from the Ultravoid itself â€“ a massive black hole that swallows entire worlds.
Solar Ash is slated to release for the PS4 and PS5 sometime in 2021.

Five Nights At Freddy’s Security Breach

Check out the first gameplay footage for Five Nights At Freddy’s Security Breach below:

Oddworld Soulstorm

Developer Oddworld Inhabitants announced Oddworld Soulstorm will launch for PS5, PS4, and PC via the Epic Games Store on 6 April 2021.
What’s interesting is that PlayStation Plus members will also be able to download the PS5 version for free as one of the PS Plus free fame offerings in the month of April 2021.

Kena Bridge Of Spirits

Kena Bridge Of Spirits will offer a Standard Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition. All editions of the game entitle you to both the Digital PS4 and Digital PS5 versions of the game.
The Digital Deluxe Edition includes the Digital Soundtrack, a unique silver staff for Kena and golden Rot skin.
Kena Bridge Of Spirits is slated to release for the PS4 and PS5 on 24 August 2021.

Deathloop

Deathloop is now available to pre-order on PS5. When you pre-order either the standard version of the game of the Deluxe Edition, youâ€™ll receive the following in-game bonuses:

Unique Weapon: Royal Protector Machete (PS5 Exclusive)
Character Skin: â€œStorm Riderâ€ Colt
One Trinket (equippable buff)

Deathloop is slated to release as a one-year timed exclusive for the PS5 on 21 May 2021, before heading to PC as well.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade

Square Enix has announced Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, an enhanced and expanded version of last yearâ€™s critically acclaimed adventure.
The expressiveness of the gameâ€™s lighting, texture, and environment has increased with the PS5 version of the game. New features have also been added, including the ability to switch between â€œGraphics Modeâ€ that prioritizes high quality 4K graphics (4K compatible display required) and â€œPerformance Modeâ€ that prioritizes smooth action at 60FPS.
The game also includes a fully-customizablePhoto Mode where the player can take photos of in-game scenes and save their favourite memories, as well as a new episode that features Yuffie as the main protagonist. The updated game will feature a newly-added Normal (Classic) difficulty setting.

Those who own the physical or digital PS4 version of Final Fantasy VII Remake and want to experience the PS5 enhancements can upgrade to the PS5 version at no extra cost, and carry over their save data from the PS4 version.
However, it’s important to note that PS4 players who upgrade will still need to purchase the new episode featuring Yuffie separately.
The pre-order bonus for the digital version of the game features Yuffieâ€™s weapon â€œCacstar,â€ which can be used in her new episode. A Digital Deluxe Edition of the game will also be available, which will include a digital artbook and a digital mini soundtrack.

You can check out the full live stream below:


This Is Square Enix’s TGS 2021 Online Lineup; Final Fantasy XVI Is Not In It

Square Enix just announced its Tokyo Game Show 2021 games lineup for its 1st to 3rd October presentation. And while it looks standard, there is one title that is missing: Final Fantasy XVI.Â
Yep, the 16th mothership FF title may not make an appearance during TGS 2021 week. Either it’s getting its own showcase later in 2021, or it’s not ready yet (thanks, COVID-19). Or it may be a surprise tease on 3rd October’s Final Fantasy XIV livestream panel, since producer Naoki Yoshida is on it. Who knows?
Here is the full line-up and schedule. All times are in GMT+8 (Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, etc.):

Collection of SaGa: Final Fantasy Legend (Switch, PC [Steam], iOS, Android)
Deep Insanity: Asylum (PC [Steam], iOS, Android)
Dragon Quest X Offline (TBA)
Dragon Quest X Online (PS4, Switch, PC, Wii U, 3DS)
Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius (PC, iOS, Android)
Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier (iOS, Android)
Final Fantasy XIV (PS5, PS4, PC, Mac)
Forspoken (PS5, PC)
Imperial SaGa Eclipse (PC, Smartphone)
Marvelâ€™s Guardians of the Galaxy (PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)
Project Triangle Strategy (Switch)
Romancing SaGa Re;Universe (iOS, Android)
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin (PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, PC)
War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius (iOS, Android)

1st October

18:00 â€“ Square Enix Presents TGS 2021Â â€“ A review of information released thus far and new updates on upcoming titles. Featuring MC Hiroki Yasumoto.
19:00 â€“ Opening Day! Square Enix TGS 2021 Special Live BroadcastÂ â€“ Details coming soon.
20:00 â€“ Lounge Jam: Square Enix Music TGS 2021 Special LiveÂ â€“ Featuring Ryo Miyachi Quintet.
21:00 â€“ ForspokenÂ TGS Special ProgramÂ â€“ Information on the PlayStation 5 and PC titleÂ Forspoken. Featuring MC Susumu Imadachi (Elec. Comic), Takeshi Terada (co-director), and Raio Mitsuno (creative producer).

2nd October

12:00 â€“ Marvelâ€™s Guardians of the GalaxyÂ Official Livestream: â€œSelling the Galaxyâ€™s Most Awesome Misfits to SQEX CEOâ€ You got this. Probably.Â â€“Â Marvelâ€™s Guardians of the GalaxyÂ will be released worldwide on October 26. In addition to another overview of the game, it will be presented to the president of Square Enixâ€¦!? Look forward to various information on the game just ahead of its release. Featuring MC Susumu Imadachi (Elec. Comic), Daisuke Yamamoto (localization producer), Ken Rose (localization director), and Yousuke Matsuda (Square Enix president).
13:15 â€“ Nobuo Uematsuâ€™s â€œI Heard that Woodsmen are Popularâ€¦â€ â€“ Featuring Nobuo Uematsu (composer), Keiji Kawamori (music director), and Makoto Ise (sound director).
14:30 â€“ Final Fantasy: Brave ExviusÂ TGS 2021 Live StreamÂ â€“ Game information, development stories, and more. There may even be a giveaway during the live stream!?
15:45 â€“ War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave ExviusÂ TGS 2021 Special Live StreamÂ â€“ An overview ofÂ War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, including the new content â€œAnother Story.â€ Featuring Kay Hirono (Final Fantasy: Brave ExviusÂ series producer), Nakai Kazuhide (War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave ExviusÂ assistant producer), and MC Susumu Imadachi (Elec. Comic).
16:45 â€“ SaGa Series TGS 2021 Special Live StreamÂ â€“ The latest information on theÂ SaGaÂ series includingÂ Collection of SaGa: Final Fantasy Legend,Â Imperial SaGa Eclipse, andÂ Romancing SaGa Re;universe. Featuring Akitoshi Kawazu (SaGaÂ series general director), Masanori Ichikawa (SaGaÂ series producer), Kazuma Oushuu (Imperial SaGa EclipseÂ producer), Kenji Ito (composer), Benny Matsuyama (game writer, novelist), Hikaru Ishihara (Akatsuki development staff), Yousuke Fujimoto (THINK & FEEL director), MC Nobuo (Penguins comedian), and assistant MC Yui (actor and talent).
18:45 â€“ ChouÂ Dragon Quest XÂ TV TGS 2021 Special â€“ The Tokyo Game Show 2021 Online edition of the popular live stream program ChouÂ Dragon Quest X TV. Featuring Koji Aoyama (Dragon Quest X OnlineÂ producer), Takashi Anzai (Dragon Quest X OnlineÂ director), Ami Niimaruichi (3rd Novice Ambassador), Leena (5th Novice Ambassador), and MCs Motohiro Takewaka (Buffalo Goro) and Ayana Tsubaki (talent).
20:00 â€“ Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy OriginÂ TGS 2021 Special BroadcastÂ â€“ A review of the survey from the June-released trial version, plus live gameplay and more with special guests. Featuring MC Masao Koori, Kasumi Ashizawa (game talent and voice actor), Sayaka Kano (game idol), Tetsuya Nomura (Square Enix creative producer) (heavenly voice), Daisuke Inoue (Square Enix director), Hiroya Usuda (Koei Tecmo director), and Michinobu Kumabe (Koei Tecmo director).
21:00 â€“ Square Enix Jazz Live Painting

3rd October

11:00 â€“ Final Fantasy Trading Card Game: Beginnerâ€™s Hall at TGS 2021
14:30 â€“ Educational Program: â€œWorldwide Okabeâ€Â â€“ Featuring Keiichi Okabe (NieRÂ series composer), Yoko Taro (NieRÂ series creative director), and Yosuke Saito (NieRÂ series producer).
16:30 â€“ Final Fantasy VII: The First SoldierÂ TGS 2021 Special Live StreamÂ â€“ Another overview of the game, plus live gameplay and more with the development team and guests. Featuring MC Susumu Imadachi (Elec. Comic), assistant Kasumi Ashizawa (game talent and actor), live streamer Taiga Kishi, guest streamers SHAKA and Alelu, Shoichi Ichikawa (producer), and Tetsuya Nomura (creative director) (heavenly voice).
18:00 â€“ Deep Insanity: AsylumÂ Pre-Release TGS 2021 Special Live StreamÂ â€“Â Deep Insanity: AsylumÂ will be released for PC, iOS, and Android this fall. A deep mystery adventure of a young man who lost his memory will unfold in a huge underground world known as Asylum. A deep dive into the mysteries hidden in this title with the development team and creators of the gameâ€™s world. Featuring Makoto Fukami (world creator), Norimitsu Kaihou (world creator), Ryoutarou Ishii (producer), and MC Yui.
19:00 â€“ Dragon Quest X OfflineÂ Show Full of NewsÂ â€“Â Dragon Quest X OfflineÂ has been shrouded in mystery since its announcementâ€¦ but the producer and his guests will now share the latest information. Featuring Haruna Iikubo (talent), Takuma Shiraishi (Dragon Quest X OfflineÂ producer0, and MC Jun Fukuyama (voice actor).
20:00 â€“ Final Fantasy XIVÂ Yoshi-P Sanpo in TGS 2021 OnlineÂ â€“Â Final Fantasy XIV producer and director Naoki Yoshida visits the public servers and plays with users in this live stream. Featuring Naoki Yoshida (Final Fantasy XIVÂ producer and director) and Toshio Murouchi (Final Fantasy XIVÂ global community producer).


Halo: The Master Chief Collection PC Testing Has Been Delayed

Everyone was excited when the entire Halo saga was coming to the PC and Steam this year. Unfortunately, the public test for Halo: Reach, which is supposed to go live last month, has been pushed back.

Halo community director Brian â€œSke7châ€ Jarrard has confirmed that Aprilâ€™s private test of Halo: Reach on PC is going off schedule.
According to an update on the Waypoint forums, Jarrad wasn’t able to produce another timeframe for when players can expect the test.
Jarrard revealed in the post that due to how complicated the project is, and Microsoftâ€™s high-quality standards, it had to be pushed back.

â€œThatâ€™s turning out to be more challenging than first anticipated in some aspects while thereâ€™s been great progress and work done in plenty of other areas,â€ he said.

The game hasn’t received a release date as of yet, Â either for Reach or the entire collection. That said, at this rate, the whole thing will be probably finished by 2021, seeing as 2019 is mostly halfway done without a single game having made it out.
Well, if delaying means we’ll be receiving a top-notch product, then I am all for it.


Koch Media & Black Eye Games Teams Up For Siege Survival Gloria Victis

Koch Media and Black Eye Games have announced a partnership for the upcoming digital PC release of Siege Survival Gloria Victis, which will be released under its Ravenscourt games label.
Set in the Middle Ages, Siege Survival Gloria Victis has players leading a group of civilians to try and survive the brutal siege of their city. Scouring the city for resources, this management strategy game has you crafting supplies and keeping the troops well-stocked to prevent the city from being overrun.
The game will be a key title in the Steam Game Festival Spring Edition, which runs from 2am GMT+8 on 4 February 2021 to 2am GMT+8 on 10 February 2021.

It will feature a fully playable and new updated demo allowing players to experience the first days of the siege, taking them through the basic tutorials of gathering, crafting and exploration as well as allowing them to explore part of the besieged city; the full campaign will take you through 30 days.
Siege Survival Gloria Victis is slated for release sometime in Q2 2021.
Commenting on the partnership Black Eye Gamesâ€™ CEO, Jan Grochowski, said:

â€œWeâ€™re delighted to be working with Koch Media.
This partnership will give us access to a global market with dedicated teams in all the major territories.
The work on Siege Survival: Gloria Victis was started by an external team 2 years ago, with full support and supervision of Black Eye Games.
Now, after successfully merging both teams and starting the partnership with Koch Media, we secured the future development of both Siege Survival and our startup project, GloriaVictis MMORPG.
We hope players trying our demo during the Steam Game Festival enjoy playing it as much as weâ€™ve enjoyed making it.â€

Daniel Emery, Senior Global Communications Manager with Koch Media said:

â€œWe are delighted to team up with the team inÂ Lublin, Poland –Black Eye Games -Â Â for this upcoming release. The medieval management survival game Siege Survival: Gloria Victis fits perfectly into our broad portfolio of quality games for gamers under the new Ravenscourt portfolio.Â Our teams in Munich and around the world are going to support the Dev team with all of our local and global publishing and marketing experience. â€

Set in the same medieval environment as the Gloria Victis MMORPG – with its gritty realism, player-driven economy and warring factions with swords and shields aplenty -Â  the game sees your country being invaded and your city under siege; your group of civilians are trapped in the last remaining stronghold and are hanging on for dear life. Although you donâ€™t participate in the fighting directly, the fate of the city is in your hands.

Scavenging: Venturing out from the safety of your keep, you have to explore the ransacked city at night to collect raw materials, abandoned goods and weapons that you need to survive and hold out long enough for the reinforcements to drive away the attackers.

Crafting & resource management: You need better weapons, a roof over your head, hot food and all the other trappings that just existing entail; and the only way youâ€™ll get these is if you and your team craft them. But resources are scarce and youâ€™ll need to manage them wisely to make it through in one piece.

Surviving: Defending whatâ€™s left of your city are a few tired troops in dire need of arrows, weapons and armour; along with treatment for the wounded. You need to keep this squad supplied and supported in every way possible ahead of their battles every few days; otherwise, the enemy will storm the keep. Not only that, but you have to avoid the enemy soldiers when you go out into no manâ€™s land every night.

You can head on over here to the game’s official Steam page to download the demo now.


We’ll Be Seeing More Of The Bleach Anime’s Final Arc This December

A while ago, Shonen Jump and Jump Festa owners Shueisha said that it will be revisiting shonen anime Bleach by telling its last storyline, the “Thousand Year Blood War” arc in the near future. We may be getting an extended peek later next month.
Shueisha said that it will be revealing more information about Bleach’s final story arc in anime form in its upcoming Jump Festa ’22 event on 18th and 19th December. The expo will also have stage presentations for the following shows:

SPY x FAMILY
Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai
World Trigger
Boruto
Prince of Tennis
Dragon Ball Super
Demon Slayer
Jujutsu Kaisen
Dr. Stone
My Hero Academia
One Piece
Chainsaw Man
Platinum End
Worldâ€™s End Harem

The Jump Festa event will be a hybrid online and offline event, with its physical version taking place at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Tokyo, and the rest via livestream. This may be subjected to change due to COVID-19, which is still affecting the whole world.
As for Bleach and its creator Tite Kubo? The series has seen a resurgence of sorts thanks to the spin-off movie Burn The Witch that came out last year. The film is about two Witches working for the Western branch of Soul Society, helping to sort out supernatural troubles happening in London and Reverse London.


ONE Esports And Samsung Join Forces To Launch ONE Esports App

ONE Esports, a subsidiary of Group ONE Holdings (ONE), has announced it has signed a long-term partnership withÂ Samsung in Southeast Asia. This is the latest major partnership for ONE Esports, following recent partnership announcements with Activision Blizzard, foodpanda Thailand, Franklin Templeton,Â FWD, Marriott Bonvoy, and McDonaldâ€™s Philippines.
This partnership with Samsung will see ONE Esports develop an exclusive ONE Esports mobile app for Samsung devices in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, to be launched in the second half of 2022.
The app will be positioned as the go-to source for esports news and content in Southeast Asia, and will be seamlessly integrated into the ONE Esports media ecosystem, featuring news and content syndicated from ONE Esportsâ€™ website, which will be localised across each market. Samsung users will also get to enjoy exclusive videos and rewards produced by the ONE Esports team for the app.
The app will be made available in the Samsung Galaxy Store and Google Play Store for over-the-air download exclusively on Samsung mobile devices this year.
Carlos Alimurung, CEO, ONE Esports, said:

â€œI am proud to announce this partnership with Samsung that brings ONE Esportsâ€™ world-class esports content natively on mobile, in collaboration with Southeast Asiaâ€™s leader in mobile devices and experiences. Samsung clearly understands that brands need to connect and engage with the next generation to stay ahead of the curve, and mobile devices and esports are two of the most effective ways to reach them.
As the penetration of mobile usage and gaming across Southeast Asia continues to grow, this partnership will give the new generation of mobile-first consumers the best way to consume esports content.”

Chris Tarr, Head of Mobile Services & Partnerships, Southeast Asia and Oceania at Samsung Electronics, said:

â€œLed by a young, digital, and global audience, esports is shaping up to be the future of sports, media, and entertainment. Through this unprecedented partnership with ONE Esports, we are excited to bring the galaxy of esports to Samsung mobile users, many of whom are passionate about esports and mobile gaming.
ONE Esports is uniquely positioned as Southeast Asiaâ€™s premier esports media organisation, and our partnership sets the cornerstone for combining the best of esports experiences with the best mobile gaming devices for our customers.”

To supplement the app launch, ONE Esports will run various activations to promote Samsung onÂ oneesports.gg. Additionally, ONE Esports and Samsung will work together closely to bring a mobile esports tournament to life in 2022. More details on the tournament will be released at a later date.