Rick "The Hadou" Thiher joins Twitch

Photo: Robert PaulRick Thiher has announced he will be joining Twitch in April 2017 in a position dedicated to helping competitive gaming "build toward its future."

Thiher will relocate to San Francisco as part of his new job. This will take him out of his old home in the Midwest but not, he said in tweet chain, remove him from his current actitivities in the fighting game community.

"Because Twitch gets it, I am still a FGC resource, @ComboBreakerFGC's Event Director, @CEOGaming's Creative Director, & a @EVO worker," he wrote.

Thiher's official job title is still not public, but he did add he will be "Project Manager on some FGC stuff & daily emptier of the in-office Starbursts jar."

Killer Instinct frame data cheat sheet by Infil

Infil has created a helpful guide detailing important moves and data for each of the characters in Killer Instinct going into KI World Cup on March 10-12, 2017.

The document covers all characters in KI and contains both the likelihood that said character will be in the event as well as a small fighter breakdown.

The guide was created as a resource for commentators who want to brush up on their Killer Instinct knowledge going into the game's big event, but it can also serve as a guide to players on what to watch out for when playing against each member of the cast.

The guide can be found on Google Docs.

Tekken 7 will not feature online matchmaking across platforms

Bandai Namco's upcoming fighter will not allow players to challenge each other online from different platforms, according to recent online exchanges.

In tweets from both BN's official Australian account and Katsuhiro Harada the developer has said Tekken 7 will not have a cross-platform play. Harada offered that it was security policies of each company hampering the possibility, adding "Don't ask me. ASK [sic] 1st party."

While the news will not likely be a surprise to many, as cross-play is still rarely implemented for online matchmaking across games, it will surely be at least a slight disappointment.

Super Desperation Radio episode 609 archive online

The latest episode of Super Desperation Radio is now available for watching on Team Spooky's YouTube channel.

SDR discussed the beginning of the Street Fighter V season with the upcoming Final Round 20 and the impact new leagues and tournament series are having on the already-crowded FGC event schedule.

The cast also took some time to talk about the release of the Nintendo Switch and their litany of problems with River City Ransom Underground.

Super Desperation Radio is live every Monday at 6:30 p.m. PDT on Team Spooky, and will be archived at the TS YouTube channel. Classic episodes can still be found on the IPLAYWINNER YouTube.

Shin Hisako teased, gameplay coming at Killer Instinct World Cup

Shin Hisako is coming to Killer Instinct in March 2017, and players will get a sneak peak at her during the game's world cup on March 10-12.

Not much is known about the new character, but Iron Galaxy's Adam "Keits" Heart describes Shin Hisako as "more straightforward to play than Hisako," but with "some interesting wrinkles." The character also wields a sword as opposed to her trademark naginata.

Heart also promised fans that the next upcoming KI character "will not be a remix."

Readers can check out the Shin Hisako teaser after the jump.

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Dr. Fate to cast a spell on opponents in Injustice 2

DC Comics' agent of order is making his fighting game debut in Injustice 2.

Dr. Fate uses his the power of magic to disable and defeat his foes in Injustice 2, including numerous projectile attacks like small ankhs that circle his body much like Batman's bats. He also has an ability that activates an unexplained red aura around his body and a move that blows opponents across the screen.

Players can check out Fate's trailer after the jump. Injustice 2 arrives May 16, 2017.

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Eddy Gordo confirmed for Tekken 7

It seems the rumors were true: Eddy Gordo is joining the cast of Tekken 7.

The capoeira fighter returns to T7 sporting a devastating array of kicks and tricky stances in his mission to avenge his master. Instead of his traditional green and yellow attire, Eddy wears street clothes fashioned after his alternate outfit in previous Tekken titles.

Eddy's trailer also debuts two returning Tekken stages: the helipad and arena.

Players can check out the Eddy trailer after the jump and head over to Avoiding the Puddle for more images of the new stages. Tekken 7 comes home on June 2, 2017.

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Ultra Street Fighter II coming to Nintendo Switch on May 26

The latest update to the classic Street Fighter II is coming home at the end of May.

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers will release simultaneously across the world on May 26, 2017. In the U.S., the game will retail for $39.99.

First announced in January 2017, USFII will add new characters Evil Ryu and Violent Ken to the Street Fighter II universe. The game will also feature a two-on-one "Dyamic Battle" mode like that seen in some of the Street Fighter Alpha titles, the first-person "Way of the Hado" scenario and more.  

Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2 comes home in Japan on May 25

The newest issue of Famitsu has given players a date for the console release of Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2: May 25, 2017.

In addition to new characters—Baiken and Answer—and balance changes, Rev 2 will also come with a new Episode Mode, which seems like it will work to advance the world of Xrd with character-focused stories, and other changes to existing modes.

While this is only the release date for the title on PlayStation 3 and 4 in Japan, it makes the possible U.K. release date seem more plausible. There is currently no word as to when the game will be released in the U.S.

Super Desperation Radio episode 608 archive online

The latest episode of Super Desperation Radio is now available for watching on Team Spooky's YouTube channel.

SDR was joined by Brokentier's Koogy as the crew discussed Koogy's recent streaming efforts with Guilty Gear Xrd. The conversation spilled into all aspects of the fighting game community, from Koogy's break in active competition to his personal philsophy on improving and dealing with losses. He even discussed growing a scene or business and how times have changed for smaller startups in the FGC.

The show also said a temporary goodbye to beloved cast member Walkman, who will be on hiatus due to changes in his work life.

Super Desperation Radio is live every Monday at 6:30 p.m. PDT on Team Spooky, and will be archived at the TS YouTube channel. Classic episodes can still be found on the IPLAYWINNER YouTube.

Capcom Pro Tour 2017 details revealed

Capcom has revealed the dates and rules of the upcoming Capcom Pro Tour 2017. Again 32 players will qualify for Capcom Cup, and the tour will start with Final Round 20 on March 10-12, 2017.

However, the qualification process is different in 2017. Only six spots at Capcom Cup are guaranteed: four go to regional finals winners, one to a last-chance qualifier at Capcom Cup and the last to previous champ NuckleDu. The other 26 competitors will be decided by the global points leaderboad.

With almost no tournament granting auto-qualification, Ranking and online events could be more important than ever before in CPT. To accompany this change, point distribution has been altered to give more weight to Evolution 2017 and Premier events. Fifteen Global Premier events have been announced, with venues ranging from Chicago, Illinois, to Chengdu, China.

For a full breakdown on how the system will work, along with global and regional event locations, head over to the CPT website. Players can check out the point distribution chart and official trailer after the jump.

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First images released of Arc System Works crossover costumes coming to Dead or Alive 5 Last Round

An upcoming collaboration between developers will put costumes from Guilty Gear and BlazBlue into Dead or Alive, and now the first images from that partnership have been unveiled.

The 16 different outfits—featuring Nyotengu as Dizzy, Kasumi as Noel Vermilion, Hitomi as Tsubaki Yayoi and Honoka as Elphelt Valentine among others—will be coming to Dead or Alive 5 Last Round in Japan on March 14. Prices for the costumes will vary depending on platform, with individual items costing either roughly $2.50 or $2.70 (286 yen on PS4, 300 on Xbox One) on consoles while the whole set will run $28, or $29 on PC (3,175 yen on PS4, 3,200 on Xbox One and 3,334 on PC).

News of the deal between Koei Tecmo and Arc System Works was made public in early February 2017. There is no word as to whether these costumes will officially be released to U.S. players.

Combo Breaker 2017 utilizing "3-out format" to change tournament play

Combo Breaker is switching up the usual format of competitive play for big events by allowing three players in each pool to move to the next round in hopes of creating a better tournament experience.

At Combo Breaker 2017, any game with at least 81 players will benefit from the "3-out" system. What this means is that there is no classic losers final for each pool, as both the winner and loser of winner's finals will advance along with the remaining player in the losers bracket.

According to Combo Breaker Competition Director Max Wasserman, the decision provides two advantages: it removes losers finals, which "is always the last match of pools to be played" and "cannot be played simultaneously with any other matches," and also removes many occurances of double jeopardy, a situation many players find inconvenient and frustrating in their event experiences.

For a more in-depth explanation of Combo Breaker's decision regarding this change, readers can check out the official CB website.

ELEAGUE to debut $250,000 Street Fighter V invitational in March

Turner and IMG's ELEAGUE will make its first foray into the fighting game scene as it produces a $250,000 tournament for Street Fighter V starting in March.

The event, which will be shown on TBS and Twitch starting on March 27, will feature a preliminary round where 32 players compete to move into regular season competition. From there, group play will determine which eight move into the playoffs, and then on to the finals.

Players for ELEAGUE will consist of the "top 16 competitors based on the 2016 Capcom Pro Tour" along with the other 16 chosen by special invitation from Capcom. Matches in the preliminaries will be best of three matches, while everything after will be best of five. For more information, players can check out the release on ELEAGUE's official website or watch the trailer after the jump.

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New trailer confirms Cyborg for Injustice 2

A new piece of cinematic footage from Injustice 2 has announced yet another returning character to the game: Cyborg.

As the trailer focuses on the story of the game, there footage of Cyborg in action other than a glimpse of what may be his super in Injustice 2.

Player can check out the new trailer, "Shattered Alliances Part 1," after the jump. Injustice 2 arrives May 16, 2017.

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Super TSB bringing national competition to New York on March 18

New York City's Team St1ckbug tournament series has previously hosted out-of-towners for its events, and on March 18, 2017, it will again be going major.

With several players already planning to visit the city during March 2017, New York's airdash scene decided to create a gathering of players from across the nation for its monthly tournament. Due to their promotion, 15 competitors from various states have already made plans to attend.

Confirmed players for TSB include: KizzieKay, TheBeautifulDude, Jona, RaphTX, Hamad, Nakkiel, Doren2k, Hotashi, MiniMatt, Grant_Chi, Bears, Kenji, Blacksnake, Eshi and Havoc_Noah.

Games at TSB include Guilty Gear Xrd -Revelator-, BlazBlue Central Fiction, Koihime Enbu and KOF XIII, while exhibitions and other events are still being finalized at this time. The tournaments will be streamed on Blazeu's Twitch channel. For complete information on Super TSB, players can check out the Dustloop thread.

Classic Iori costume for King of Fighters XIV now available

A downloadable costume bringing back Iori Yagami's iconic look from earlier KOF games is now available.

First revealed in November 2016 as part of the Chinese special edition of KOF XIV, Classic Iori was finally announced for other regions during the King of Fighters XIV World Championship finals.

Just like other DLC outfits, Classic Iori will cost players $2.99 on the PlayStation Store.

Aris talks about what it takes to be successful in Tekken

During a recent stream, Aris talked about the upcoming Tekken 7 and what new players may experience as they attempt to learn the game.

Now committed to text on Avoiding the Puddle, Aris' brief conversation with his stream highlights some of the biggest problems and realities of playing Tekken at a high level.

Aris' explanation is 11 parts, but is a quick read and an interesting perspective from someone who has been playing Tekken and 3-D games in general at a high level for years.

Super Desperation Radio episode 607 archive online

The latest episode of Super Desperation Radio is now available for watching on Team Spooky's YouTube channel.

SDR was joined by former Evolution champion Reynald as the group talked the King of Fighters XIV World Championship finals.

Hellpockets and company also took the time to ask Reynald his thoughts on player philosophy, social media in the fighting game community and his predictions on KOF XIV's upcoming DLC characters.

Super Desperation Radio is live every Monday at 6:30 p.m. PDT on Team Spooky, and will be archived at the TS YouTube channel. Classic episodes can still be found on the IPLAYWINNER YouTube.

Guide by Nage explains how he fights Raven in Guilty Gear -Revelator-

One of Japan's strongest Xrd players has written out his thoughts on how he fights Raven in the most recent entry of the Guilty Gear Xrd series.

Nage breaks his guide into several points, devoting much of the space to explain his thought process when Raven has knocked the opponent down or how to fight the character at the mid-range. Although Nage only discusses the fight in terms of his character, Faust, a lot of the information can be applied to many characters in -Revelator-.

GreatFernMan has translated Nage's blog and posted it on Evernote. Nage admits with location testing for Guity Gear Xrd Rev 2 currently going on his guide may soon become outdated, but he felt he would explain his choices in the matchup anyway.