New NorCal StrongStyle set for July 13-14, 2019, 3 vs. 3 team tournament as main event

NorCal's premiere Tekken tournament series will be returning for the new year with a shift in focus.

The newest iteration of StrongStyle will take place on July 13-14, 2019, at San Jose's Doubletree by Hilton hotel, the same venue as the 2018 event. Instead of being a singles tournament like its past entries, next year's StrongStyle will primarily be a 3 vs. 3 team battle tournament.

StrongStyle will also have a qualifier event in Japan where they will take the top three-player team to San Jose to represent the country. This was announced at Japan's popular team tournament Mastercup 10. No details on the date of the qualifier have surfaced.

Follow NorCal StrongStyle on Twitter for future updates.

Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS 2 coming to Japanese arcades on Oct. 30, 2018

The direct follow-up to the popular arcade arena fighting game in Japan has been fully revealed.

Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS 2 now has a release date of Oct. 30, 2018. Developed by Bandai Namco's VSTG Project team and published under BN's Amusement division, this will be playable only in Japanese arcades.

EXVS2 will include over 160 mobile suits with four new suits announced: Gundam AGE-1 Full Glansa from Gundam AGE, Gundam Astray Blue Frame D from Gundam SEED, Montero from Reconguista in G and Zaku Amazing from Gundam Build Fighters. Mechanics-wise, EXVS2 adds two more burst options to the existing three found in Maxi Boost ON. Mobility Burst allows players faster boost speed when activating EX mode. Linkage Burst, when EX mode is on, refills a small amount of both boost and primary weapon ammo depending on how much EX meter is available.

There are a variety of modes to be added in EXVS2 such as training mode and a group play mode.

From 4Gamer's article, EXVS2's cabinets will sport a new look compared to the previous Namco Noir model. In addition, the cabinets will features a 3.5mm headphone jack with volume control for headphone support, a USB charging port and even a built-in pad based on a design by Hori.

There are currently no plans for a home version as of this time. Bandai Namco's Entertainment division released Gundam Versus exclusively for the PlayStation 4 in 2017.

You can check out the promotional video detailing the modes, as well as a CG trailer from Japanese alternative metal band Coldrain, after the jump!

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Dead or Alive 6 coming to Japanese arcades

The newest iteration of Koei Tecmo's fighting game franchise will be coming to arcades, the company announced.

Dead or Alive 6 will be coming to arcades in Japan using the latest version of SEGA's ALL.Net system, but no details about a release date were revealed at this time.

Dead or Alive 6 is scheduled for release on PlayStation 4, Steam and Xbox One on February 15, 2019.

Japanese mixed martial arts event to host Tekken 7 exhibition

Rizin Fighting Federation's fight card on Sept. 30, 2018, will feature three digital bouts between top Japanese and Korean Tekken players.

Rizin 13 will feature 12 normal MMA fights, but the seventh match (which doubles as the first intermission) will consist of three separate T7 matches: Chanel vs. Take, Qudans vs. Nobi and Knee vs. Noroma. 

This is not the first time Rizin has offered an event for Tekken players, holding a four-player tournament featuring Yuu, Nobi, Kari and Kagemaru as part of Rizin x Mastercup at the end of 2017.

In an Instagram post, Rizin president Nobuyuki Sakakibara wondered whether this collaboration will be considered "revolutionary, or reckless" but also stated, "I do believe that there is a future in our sport with a collaboration with esports. Come join us in the experience that nobody in the world has never experienced."

Rizin 13 takes place on Sept. 30, 2018, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Readers interested in learning more about the event or watching Rizin 13 can head over to FITE.

Seventeenth edition of 3rd Strike's largest team tournament Cooperation Cup dated for early January 2019

The annual Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike 5v5 team tournament in Japan will return with a new edition next year. If you and your friends are looking to visit Japan for the weekend to participate, here are the dates.

Cooperation Cup Vol. 17 has been set for Jan. 5-6, 2019, and will take place in Hulic Hall Asakusabashi at Tokyo's Taito district, same as Vol. 16 earlier this year.

Expect Jan. 5 to be dedicated to Pre-Cooperation Cup, where five-player same-character teams will compete. The next day will be the actual Cooperation Cup tournament itself. While Coop Cup brings out a variety of players from Japan, it also gets foreign players from all over the world to participate as well.

Cooperation Cup 17 was announced during Game Newton's 3rd Maniax -Natsu no Jin- 2018 team tournament in Akihabara's e-Sports Square. Winners from 3rd Maniax -Natsu no Jin- 2018 will be presented with a special recommendation frame at Cooperation Cup Vol. 17.

As 2019 gets closer, more info will be available. Make sure to check out the official Cooperation Cup website for news as well as the opportunity to register for the longest running 3rd Strike tournament to date. For now, check out the archive to Cooperation Cup Vol. 16 in its entirety after the jump!

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Japanese release of Street Fighter anniversary collection moved to fall

While players in North America and Europe have gotten their hands on Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, Japanese fans will be waiting for a few more months.

According to a post on Capcom's Japanese website, the game's release has been moved to a "fall 2018" timeframe, with no other details listed at this time. This comes after the title was delayed due to some backlash from fans who were unhappy that the collection—which is being titled Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection International—would only include English titles, voicing and text.

It is unclear what changes Capcom will make to the game before its Japanese release, but according to translations from Siliconera the company said that "additional new information besides the release period" will be forthcoming.

Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection is currently available in North America for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PC.

Gundam Versus adding more balance changes with 1.12 update

A new patch is coming soon to the Japanese version of Gundam Versus.

Version 1.12, which will go live on March 13, will include balance changes as well as text and bug fixes. In addition, players will now be able to change their navigators, select music and access the development tree when they are in a Player Match room.

The balance tweaks will affect suits such as Build Strike Gundam (Full Package) and Duel Gundam while striker nerfs are coming for Zaku, Banshee, Crossbone Gundam X1 Kai and Crossbone Gundam X3.

There is currently no word as to when the patch will become available for Gundam Versus players in other regions. The full list of translated changes can be found at GGEZ.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs. 2 coming to arcades in 2018

A new arcade version of Bandai Namco's popular arena fighter will be coming before the end of the year.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs. 2 will be the first numbered sequel of the Extreme Vs. series, which started in arcades in 2010. The most recent update is Extreme Vs Maxi Boost ON, which was first released in 2016 but has continually received updates in the form of new mobile suits.

According to Gematsu, a location test for the new game is scheduled for summer 2018 in Japan. It is unknown at this time if the release of Extreme Vs. 2 will have any effect on Gundam Versus, or if the PlayStation 4 and arcade versions of the Gundam Vs. series will remain independent but related titles going forward.

Readers can check out the game's teaser trailer after the jump.

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Gundam Versus adding two more mobile suits, patch incoming

Gundam Versus players in Japan will be getting some changes starting on Jan. 22, 2018.

The first change is a new patch for the game, which will allow players to change menu music, add a stronger disconnect penalty for online play and more. Then on Jan. 23, along with the release of the G Gundam mobile suits, Bandai Namco will begin offering the extra music found in the G Sound Edition of Gundam Versus as downloadable content. This DLC will add 16 more songs to the game.

In addition to these updates, two more mobile suits are coming to Gundam Versus. The Farsia and pilot Yurin L'Ciel arrive from Mobile Suit Gundam AGE while the Build Strike Gundam (Full Package) and Reiji join from Gundam Build Fighters. The Farsia releases on Jan. 30 along with Gundam Pixie, while Build Strike Gundam will be added along with the Efreet on Feb. 6.

As always, each of the additions will cost players 650 yen (about $6).

Aegis Gundam, White Dingo GM Sniper II drafted into Gundam Versus

Bandai Namco will continue its steady release of new mobile suits to the Japanese version of Gundam Versus by adding two more on Dec. 12.

Aegis Gundam and Athrun Zala appear from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, while the White Dingo Team GM Sniper II and its pilot Master Pierce Rayer come from the Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story 0079: Rise from the Ashes video game released on Dreamcast.

They will join the Mudrock and Gundam AGE-2 mobile suits being released earlier in the month. As always, each of the additions will cost players 650 yen (about $6).

More images, information revealed for Kamen Rider: Climax Fighters

Bandai Namco has released more screenshots of its upcoming Kamen Rider arena fighting game, giving players more details about playable characters and included modes.

In addition to Climax Fighters' first use of online battles in the series, the game will also feature a one-player Mission Mode to choose solo challenges.

The company also debuted images of added Kamen Riders Brave, Mach, Baron, Specter, Accel, Birth, Meteor and Beast, bringing the total number of characters in the game to 27.

Kamen Rider: Climax Fighters arrives on Dec. 7, 2017, in Japan and Asia (with English subtitles). Readers can check out the images at Gematsu, and watch the most recent trailer of the game after the jump.

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Four new mobile suits announced for Gundam Versus

Gundam Versus will be getting four new DLC characters for players in Japan before the end of November.

The Zeydra and its pilot Zeheart Galette will join the cast from Mobile Suit Gundam AGE, the custom Zaku I and its pilot Gerhart Schmitzer appear from the video game Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front and the Raider Gundam with Clotho Buer comes from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.

These three will join the previously announced Atlas Gundam at different release dates late in the month. The Zeydra and Atlas Gundam will release on Nov. 21, 2017, while the Zaku I and Raider Gundam will join on Nov. 28.

Much like other DLC mobile suits, each of the four additions will cost players 650 yen (about $6). 

Gundam Versus adding Atlas Gundam in November

The Japanese version of Gundam Versus will soon be getting another new entrant.

The Atlas Gundam and its pilot Io Fleming will join the cast, appearing from Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt. Atlas Gundam will fight with its trademark rail gun and beam saber and, according to translations from Siliconera, "players will have the option to equip its Sub Leg attachments to its legs, allowing it to be controlled like a pair of skis."

Much like other DLC mobile suits, Atlas will cost players 650 yen (about $6). The suit is scheduled for release sometime in November 2017.

Million Arthur: Arcana Blood coming to Japanese arcades on Nov. 21

Square-Enix's upcoming 2-D fighter has a release date at the end of November 2017.

Million Arthur: Arcana Blood will be launching in Japan on Nov. 21, 2017, three days after a nationwide location test.

Originally announced in January, MAAB features anime-style gameplay and uses "Support Knight" cards that act as assists. The game also features characters from Square-Enix's classic Seiken Densetsu series.

Readers can check out the game's opening cinema scene after the jump.

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Alvaaron, Buster Gundam now available for Gundam Versus in Japan

Two more mobile suits have been released for the Japanese version of Gundam Versus.

Alvaaron and Buster Gundam were announced in early October 2017, and now players can check out trailers of the mobile suits in action before deciding if they want to add the Gundams to their in-game collection. 

Both suits will cost players 650 yen (about $6). The trailers can be seen after the jump.

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Archive of Godsgarden 12, all about Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2

The long-running Japanese tournament series Godsgarden continues on with Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2 being the focus in this latest iteration.

The twelfth edition of Godsgarden took place on Oct. 8, 2017, at Tokyo, Japan's Ikebukuro Storia. The stream archive, found after the jump, features part of the initial preliminary matches and all of top eight. Much like past editions of Godsgarden, this tournament is running on consoles setups instead of arcade cabinets.

Featuring the best players from Japan, including Samitto, FAB, Nage and more, the six-hour archive of Godsgarden 12 is something to watch if you play Guilty Gear!

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Alvaaron, Buster Gundam coming to Gundam Versus in Japan on Oct. 17

Two new mobile suits have been announced as DLC for the Japanese version of Gundamn Versus.

Alvaaron and pilot Alejandro Corner appear from Mobile Suit Gundam 00, while the Buster Gundam and Dearka Elsman come from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.

The Alvaaron will have a striker in the form of the GNX-603T GN-X "Jinx" Gundam, while Buster Gundam will have the GAT-X207 Blitz Gundam and GAT-X102 Duel Gundam.

No trailers are available at this time. Both mobile suits will cost players 650 yen (about $6).

Gundam AGE-1 coming to Gundam Versus on Sept. 26

A third mobile suit will be joining the Nightingale and Phantom Gundam as DLC in the Japanese version of Gundam Versus at the end of September.

During Tokyo Game Show 2017, Bandai Namco revealed that the Gundam AGE-1, piloted by Flit Asuno, will be joining the game. Both Asuno and the AGE-1 come from the Mobile Suit Gundam AGE anime series.

The AGE-1 will come with five strikers, including the RGE-B790 Genoace, RGE-B790CW Genoace Custom, WMS-GEX G-Exes, CMS-328 Desperado and the Gundam AGE-1 itself.

The Gundam AGE-1 will cost players 650 yen (about $6). Readers can check out the suit's trailer from the TGS presentation after the jump.

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Nightingale, Phantom Gundam coming to Gundam Versus on Sept. 26

Trailers have been released for the two DLC mobile suits coming to the Japanese version of Gundamn Versus at the end of September 2017.

Both the Nightingale and Phantom Gundam have been previously revealed, but now players can get a chance to see them in action before deciding if they want to add the mobile suits to their in-game collection. 

Both Gundams will cost players 650 yen (about $6). The trailers can be seen after the jump.

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Blade Strangers location test announced for Sept. 22-24 in Japan

The upcoming fighting-game collaboration between Nicalis and Studio Saizensen will have a public test at the end September 2017.

Blade Strangers will have five playable characters when it is available to play at Sega Akihabara Building No. 1: Solange and Master T. Drakkhen from Code of Princess; Curly Brace from Cave Story; and Umihara Kawase and Emiko from Umihara Kawase (known as Yumi's Odd Odyssey in the United States).

Blade Strangers is currently scheduled for a late 2017 release on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PC in regions outsiden of Japan.