Granblue Fantasy fighting game coming 2019 for PS4, developed by Arc System Works

The popular mobile RPG Granblue Fantasy is now getting the fighting game treatment.

Titled Granblue Fantasy Versus, it's one of the two upcoming spinoff games based on the property by Cygames announced at this year's Granblue Fantasy Fes event. Developed by Arc System Works, GF Versus will run on Unreal Engine 4 and will feature the same visual style found in the Guilty Gear Xrd series and Dragon Ball FighterZ.

As of the time of this piece, only five characters are featured including main protagonist Gran. While being developed by Arc System Works, various Cygames employees and other contributors will take part in the making of the game.

For now, you can check out the website for the game here and the announcement trailer after the jump! Granblue Fantasy Versus will be arriving sometime in 2019, exclusively for the PlayStation 4.

Click to read more ...

Qanba introduces limited edition Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2 Obsidian

Qanba USA has announced a collaboration with Arc System Works to create a new version of the Obsidian joystick featuring artwork from Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2.

The art was designed by Guilty Gear creator Daisuke Ishiwatari and features several characters including Sol, Ky, Jack-O, Baiken, May, Kum Haehyun, Sin, Dizzy and Millia.

The stick itself contains the same features of the standard Obsidian, from Sanwa parts to compatibility with PlayStation 3, 4 and PC platforms. It joins fellow LE versions of the Obsidian designed for Soul Calibur VI and the Tekken World Tour. It is currently available on the Qanba USA website.

Nonon Jakuzure, Hōka Inumuta spring to action in Kill la Kill the Game: IF

The remaining members of Kill la Kill's Elite Four have been revealed as characters in the upcoming fighting game based on the series, Famitsu reports.

Nonon Jakuzure looks to fight mostly a long range, using sound-based attacks and bombs. Hōka Inumuta, meanwhile, has an Analyze gauge that builds up and can be spent to unleash stronger follow-up moves.

Nonon and Hōka will join fellow student council members Ira Gamagori, Uzu Sanageyama and Satsuki Kiryūin along with series protagonist Ryuko Matoi as current members of the game's cast.

Readers can check out images of the characters from Famitsu, courtesy of Twitter user HDKirin, after the jump. Kill la Kill the Game: IF is scheduled to release on PlayStation 4 and PC sometime in 2019.

Click to read more ...

Gear up: Arc System Works teaming with SuperGroupies to bring Guilty Gear, Blazblue-inspired apparel to Japan

Backpacks, cardigans and cell phone cases based on the designs of popular Arc System Works characters are coming as part of the company's new collaboration.

The items will be coming from SuperGroupies, a Japanese apparel company that seeks to merge anime and gaming style with that of normal clothing and accessories. 

On the Guilty Gear side, there will be a backpack, iPhone case and Cardigan with colors and designs referencing Sol Badguy, Ky Kiske, Ramlethal Valentine and Elphelt Valentine. For BlazBlue, Ragna the Bloodedge, Jin Kisaragi and Hazama will all get phone cases, while Ragna receives a backpack, Jin a smaller should bag and Hazama gets a messenger or laptop-style pack. 

All items are now available for preorder but they don't come cheap, with the cell phone cases costing 5,800 yen (roughly $50) while the cardigans are 12,800 (~$115) and the bags vary from 12,800 to 17,800 (~$115-160). Prospective buyers outside Japan will also need to jump through extra hoops as SuperGroupies does not ship internationally. Those still interested can check out the collection at SuperGroupies.

Arc System Works reveals more details about ArcRevo World Tour

Arc System Works has announced the guidelines of the ArcRevo World Tour, showing players how they can earn a spot at the ArcRevo World Finals in the U.S. in 2019.

These methods will affect all three games played during the world tour, including BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle, Guilty Gear Xrd: Rev2 and BlazBlue: Central Fiction.

The first way is straight forward: win one of the ArcRevo qualifiers. So far, 10 events—Evo, Frosty Faustings, CEO and Texas Showdown in the U.S.; Revolution, Brussels Challenge and Headstomper in Europe; ArcRevo Japan and Evo Japan; and South East Asia Major—have been named with Revolution on Sept. 28-30, 2018, being the first event on the tour.

The other ways is to earn points by placing in the top eight at ArcRevo qualifiers. At the end of the tour, the top point-earning player in each region—North and Latin America, Europe, Japan and Asia—will be invited to ArcRevo finals.

Between these two methods, 14 players will be invited, which leaves two spots undecided. It is currently unknown whether those last two spots are simply events that have not yet been announced, or if they will be determined in some other fashion.

For complete details of the tour's format, including the breakdown of points earned at each event, readers can check out the official Arc System Works website.

Ira Gamagori, Uzu Sanageyama join Kill la Kill the Game: IF

Two of Kill la Kill's Elite Four have been officially added to the upcoming Arc System Works 3-D battle action game.

Famitsu announced the pair online as a lead-in to its forthcoming magazine article on the game. Ira Gamagori and Uzu Sanageyama are two members of Kill la Kill's student council and join their boss, Satsuki Kiryūin, and series protagonist Ryuko Matoi as members of the game's cast.

Kill la Kill: IF is scheduled for release on PlayStation 4 and PC sometime in 2019. 

Arc System Works announces ArcRevo World Tour

The makers of Guilty Gear and BlazBlue have announced a new circuit of events that will put more than $100,00 into the pockets of players.

ArcRevo World Tour will see players competing for cash prizes in BlazBlue Central Fiction, BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle and Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2 at tournaments across the globe. The action will start in the fall of 2018 and run for one year, culminating in the finals at ArcRevo America 2019 in Los Angeles, California.

So far 10 events have been named as ArcRevo qualifiers—Evo, Frosty Faustings, CEO and Texas Showdown in the U.S.; Revolution, Brussels Challenge and Headstomper in Europe; ArcRevo Japan and Evo Japan; and South East Asia Major—with more to be announced.

For more information on the ArcRevo World Tour, readers can check out the series' official website and watch the trailer after the jump.

Click to read more ...

Arc System Works reveals gameplay details for Kill la Kill: IF

The upcoming 3-D battle action game based on Studio Trigger's famous property has had its combat fleshed out in a new posting by developer Arc System Works.

For starters, there will be no complex motions required for attacks as the controls will instead focus on simply pressing a button along with different directions. These moves will work with the game's rock-paper-scissors-style of determining which attack lands, although the ability to evade those strikes will add more complexity.

In addition, the game will also feature the "Ketsui Burst" system that seeks to recreate intense scenes of dialogue during fights in the anime. On a successful burst, both players will be taken into a minigame where they have to choose dialogue from their character. If the player who burst wins the minigame, their character will move up in Ketsui level, gaining powered-up moves. When the character reaches the highest Ketsui level, they will be able to use a deadly blow named the "Seni Soushitsu Ougi."

Kill la Kill: IF is scheduled for release on PlayStation 4 and PC sometime in 2019.

Kill la Kill game announced, more information coming at Anime Expo

After teasing an announcement for several days, Arc System Works has revealed that an upcoming project in conjunction with Studio Trigger will be a game based on the Kill la Kill anime.

Kill la Kill The Game looks to be a 3-D arena brawler developed by APLUS, the company responsible for Studio Trigger's Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time game. Arc System Works will be the publisher for the title.

Several screenshots of the work in progress can be found on the game's official website, but no more information is available at this time. According to the site, more details will be released to the public during Anime Expo in Los Angeles, California, on July 5-8, 2018. Readers can check out the game's announcement teaser after the jump.

Click to read more ...

Arc System Works celebrates 30th anniversary, festival in May 2019

Storied fighting game maker Arc System Works is celebrating three anniversaries in 2018 with plans to do more for its fanbase.

In a video from ASW, the company outlined its best wishes for the new year and marked three celebrations. First, the company itself will be celebrating its 30th year, and both the Guilty Gear and BlazBlue franchises will also be celebrating anniversaries, at 20 and 10 years, respectively.

During the joined statement from CEO Minoru Kidooka, COO Daisuke Ishiwatari and Director of Development Toshimichi Mori, the company also promised more games, streams, events and content in general from the company including a 30th anniversary festival happening during May 2019. 

For the complete message from Arc System Works to its fans, readers can check out the short video with optional English subtitles after the jump.

Click to read more ...

Final brackets, player introductions released for Arc System awards

Arc System Works has released two new competitor trailers and the final brackets for the tournaments at its upcoming Fighting Game Awards 2017 broadcast on Jan. 13, 2018.

The ASW Fighting Game Awards will feature two double elimination events—Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2 and BlazBlue Central Fiction—featuring some of the strongest players of their respective characters. For Xrd, Nage (Faust), Ruki (Dizzy), Ogawa (Zato-1), Daru (I-No), Takehara (Ramlethal), Rion (Ky), Samitto (Chipp) and Omito (Johnny) will square off, while Monster (Izanami), Dora (Bang), Matoi (Kokonoe), Meister (Lamda-11), Grover (Carl), Iwashi (Ragna), Fenrich (Jin) and Film/Gackt (Hakumen) will fight it out in BBCF.

Interested viewers will be able to check out the stream with English commentary on the Arc System Works Twitch channel or on Niconico. Past iterations of the awards have also included new game and update announcements from ASW, so it is possible the tournaments will not be the only excitement for the event.

Readers can check out the player trailers and brackets after the jump.

Click to read more ...

Arc System Works America to publish BBTag in North America

Arc System Works has announced the first project for its new North American office: publishing the upcoming dream tag fighter, BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle, in 2018.

In a posting on the company's Japanese website, ASW also laid out a more detailed plan for its U.S. office, stating that Arc System Works America will conduct distribution, marketing, promotion, customer support, licensing and localization of Arc System Works titles in the region going forward.

In this way, the company hopes to provide news updates and information simultaneously across different regions.

BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle is scheduled for release on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Steam in early 2018.

Arc System Works establishes North American office

The developer behind Guilty Gear and BlazBlue has opened an office in the United States to "expand its operations and offerings to fans in the region."

Arc System Works America, Inc., is located in Torrance, California. According to company president Minoru Kidooka, the new location will allow ASW to "better be able to open the channels of communication between fan and developer, ensuring your voices are heard and most importantly applied."

"I look forward to our latest challenge of establishing a new branch and continuing to develop exciting and innovative experiences for all the fans who made this next stage in our company’s history possible,” Kidooka said.

While nothing is confirmed by the company's official statement, a North American office would suggest that ASW plans to publish its own titles in the region going forward. The company has previously worked with Aksys Games to bring its titles to consoles in North America.

Revolution 2017 to offer Arc Revo qualifier for Europe

Five spots in Arc System Works' vaunted Arc Revolution Cup will be available to competitors during NGI and Rice Digital's Revolution 2017 in London, England.

The top three placers in Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2 and top two in BlazBlue Central Fiction at the qualifying event on Oct. 7-8 will have the opportunity to form teams and represent Europe at Arc Revo Cup.

Along with qualifying for ARC, prizes at Revolution will also include travel and accommodations for the players courtesy of both games' European publisher PQube. According to rules of the event, players must be at least 18 years old with a valid passport that they must bring to the event. Japanese players are allowed to qualify from the event.

For more information on Revolution 2017, including registration for the event, readers can head over the event's official website. Meanwhile, Arc Revolution Cup 2017 is part of Taito's Toushinsai event, which takes place Oct. 21, 2017, in Tokyo, Japan.

Arc System Works announces BlazBlue Tag Battle, Jubei coming to BlazBlue Central Fiction in summer 2017

After BlazBlue Central Fiction finals at Evolution 2017, Arc System Works announced a new character for BBCF and a new project that is on the horizon.

First, the company revealed that the last of the six heroes, Jubei, will be coming to BBCF sometime during summer 2017.

Arc System Works also showed footage of a new title named BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle, which will be a two vs two tag battle game that encorporates characters from BlazBlue, Persona 4 Arena, Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late and the anime series RWBY. Readers can check out the BBTB and Jubei trailers after the jump.

Click to read more ...

Arc Revolution Cup returns on Oct. 21, 2017

Arc System Works has announced the date and titles that will be part of the 2017 edition of Arc Revolution Cup.

The competition will take place during Taito's Toushinsai event and includes Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2, BlazBlue Central Fiction, Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] and Persona 4: The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold.

Guilty Gear and BlazBlue will both be held as team events—Xrd will be teams of three, BBCF teams of two—while the other two games will be single player. Each competition will consist of 32 teams or players.

In the past, both teams from both Europe and the United States were given a chance to qualify for Arc Revo, but nothing has been announced at this time. 

Dragon Ball FighterZ officially announced, first trailer released

During Microsoft's press conference ahead of E3 2017, the company unveiled the trailer for the new Bandai Namco fighting game being developed by Arc System Works.

The short trailer for Dragon Ball Fighterz shows off the game's beautiful animation, cinematic qualities and even some gameplay. It appears that the three-versus-three format of the title will alow for assists, as multiple characters crowd the screen during the footage. The game will also feature many of the franchise's key characters, including Cell, Majin Buu, Gohan, Goku, Frieza and Vegeta.

Readers can check out the trailer, courtesy of IGN, after the jump.

Click to read more ...

Arc System Works developing Dragon Ball fighter for 2018

Bandai Namco will release "Dragon Ball Fighters," a 2.5-D fighting game based on the property and developed by Arc System Works, in 2018.

This news comes from a Japanese press release that was seemingly shared ahead of its official date of June 12, 2017. According to Gematsu, the game will feature a three-versus-three team battle system and the high-speed combat that is a hallmark of the Dragon Ball series.

The choice of 2.5-D was made because "it has a broader range of expression as they can shift camera angles and incorporate a lot of unique production not possible in 2D [sic] alone." The game is currently scheduled for release on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC platforms.

Readers can view the archived press release at Gematsu.

Arc System Works unveils console features of Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2

The makers of Guilty Gear have released an outline of what players can expect when Rev 2 comes home in May 2017.

Starting with the game's story, Rev 2 will feature a recap of the previous events in Xrd so that new players can feel at home in the world of Guilty Gear. There will also be a free story update after the game has launched.

Online will also see changes, as Ranked games can now be rematched and competitors will be able to spectate Player matches already in progress. The lobby has also been visually updated for Rev 2.

Lastly, the game will feature a mode select that will allow players to switch between -Revelator- and Rev 2.

Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2 comes home for PlayStation 3 and 4 consoles on May 26, 2017. Physical PS4 copies will come bundled with the Rev 2 soundtrack.

Arc System Works Mashup costumes now available for DOA5LR

Outfits that dress Dead or Alive 5 Last Round characters like fighters from BlazBlue and Guilty Gear are now available across several platforms.

The 16 outfits—eight from GG, eight from BB—lead to some interesting pairings, including Tina as Bullet, Ayane as I-No, Nyotengu as Dizzy and Momiji as Baiken.

The whole set can be purchased on Steam, PlayStation 4 or Xbox One for $31.99, with PS4 and XB1 offering individual costumes for $2.99 each.