Three new characters coming to FEXL as Arika reveals 2019 schedule

On Dec. 14, Fighting EX Layer developer Arika uploaded a video detailing the release schedule for improvements and additional content coming to its game in the first half of 2019.

The big news is that three characters are currently planned as DLC, with two being free and one being paid. From the video of the schedule, it seems that the first character—to be released in March—will be Sharon, while the other two will be released by the end of May. It also looks like another of those three will be long-awaited addition of Terry Bogard to FEXL.

No details on the identity of the third character were revealed at this time, although Arika's Evo trailer showed a glimpse of Area along with Sharon and Terry making her the obvious choice.

Arika's schedule also mentions that a patch will be coming sometime around the middle of February 2019.

Readers can check out the video schedule, which features new gameplay footage of Sharon, after the jump. Fighting EX Layer is currently available on PlayStation 4 and Steam.

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Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition adds character Kage & balance update following Capcom Cup 2019's conclusion

With this year's Capcom Pro Tour coming to an end, the company has introduced new content to Street Fighter V so players can get ready for next year's CPT season.

Presented by Capcom's Yoshinori Ono, the first part of this delivery is a balance update for the SFV cast. You can check out the changes over at Capcom-Unity.

The follow-up was the addition of a character to the SFV roster. Kage is the manifestation of Ryu's temptation to the Satsui no Hado. Kage has many similarities to Evil Ryu from Street Fighter IV but tuned for SFV. He is packaged with his own story chapter as well as additional outfits.

Players need to download the latest application update and update the in-game version to 04.000. While the balance update is free for all users, Kage is not part of season three so he must be paid with 100,000 fight money or $5.99 USD. It's currently unknown if Kage will be packaged as part of a potential season four character set.

Check Kage's announcement trailer and break down video after the jump!

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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.

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2B steps onto the stage of history Dec. 18, patch coming to SCVI Dec. 17

Bandai Namco has revealed that Nier: Automata's 2B will be joining Soul Calibur VI in the middle of December 2018 and she will be accompanied by a patch bringing balance changes to SCVI a day earlier.

On Dec. 17, an update carrying both fixes and balance alterations will release for players. The patch has changes for all characters, with certain fighters like Azwel and Raphael getting mostly nerfs while others such as Astaroth, Mitsurugi and Taki received only buffs. Readers can check out the official patch notes for the full list of changes

The next day, on Dec. 18, 2B will release to the public. She will be available as either a separate download or as part of the game's season pass.

The developers have also promised an additional balance patch is coming soon.

Soul Calibur VI is currently available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam.

Tekken 7 update brings fixes to Marduk, Law

A new patch rolled out for Tekken 7 on Dec. 12, bringing changes to Law and Marduk.

For Law, the previous 2.10 update had given Law the ability to combo off Dragon Tail into backflip, and that has been removed. Meanwhile, Marduk's ability to use his Rage Drive in combos has been nerfed as the mount will no longer work, as MarkMan says, "at off angles."

These are the only listed changes for the patch, and it is unknown if any other features were affected by the update.

Tekken 7 is available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

Brad Wong, Eliot confirmed for Dead or Alive 6

Two more returning characters are joining the DOA6 cast.

According to Ryokutya (via Gematsu), the new issue of Famitsu confirms that Eliot and Brad Wong will be returning in the new title. Brad Wong first debuted in Dead or Alive 3, while Eliot showed up in DOA4.

No other information is available at this time, but it seems likely that Famitsu will have images of the characters in action.

Dead or Alive 6 comes home to PlayStation 4, Steam and Xbox One on February 15, 2019.

Italian GameStop listing dishes more info on Mortal Kombat 11

A preorder page for the Premiuim Edition of MK11 on the Italian GS website has given players some more details about the title as everyone waits for the game's "community reveal event" on Jan. 11, 2019.

The first and most seemingly obvious news is that the game will have DLC in the form of the Kombat Pass, with six additional characters scheduled to join the game. This does not include preorder bonus Shao Kahn, whose character model is shown as a preview for the Premium Edition.

The more interesting news it that MK11 is looking to offer players an even greater ability to personalize their fighter, as according to translations at Test Your Might variants will be customizable "down to the smallest detail." It's uncertain how this will be implemented, but games like Virtua Fighter and Tekken have offered varying levels of self-expression through their itemization systems in the past.

And, lastly, the game will apparently focus its multiplayer heavily on the competitive esports experience, with "personalization systems, daily news, constantly updated rewards and an improved matchmaking."

Mortal Kombat 11 is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam on April 23, 2019.

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.

Smash Ultimate welcomes Persona 5 as Joker joins the cast

The first Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC character has been revealed, and it is Joker from Persona 5.

Joker is the the protagonist of Persona 5, a character that finds strength through his mask and anonymity. No other information about Smash Ultimate and its DLC has been revealed at this time, including the launch date of Joker.

Readers can check out the trailer after the jump. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is is available for the Nintendo Switch.

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Get over here: Mortal Kombat 11 is coming April 23, 2019

During The Game Awards 2018, Ed Boon showed off a trailer for the upcoming Mortal Kombat 11, and it is coming sooner than most people imagined.

Mortal Kombate 11 will be coming home on April 23, 2018. The awards show revealed a trailer showing off series mainstays Raiden and Scorpion fighting, and Netherealm Studios has revealed that starting on Dec. 7, 2018, players can preorder the game to unlock Shao Kahn. There will also be a "community reveal event" on Jan. 17, 2019.

Readers can check out the trailer after the jump. Mortal Kombat 11 is currently scheduled for release on Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam.

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Fight of Gods to bless Nintendo Switch with its presence

A little more than a year after entering Early Access on Steam, deity-based fighter Fight of Gods will be coming to Nintendo Switch.

The 2-D game, which contains "gods, holy spirits and mythological characters" will release on the Switch on Dec. 13, 2018, in Japan, Taiwan, Korea and Hong Kong. FOG will cost players 1,500 yen (roughly $13.50) but will not feature English support. An English version is on the way and will be announced soon, according to the Fight of Gods Twitter.

Fight of Gods is currently available on Steam.

KOF XV planned for 2020, Samurai Shodown platforms announced

During SNK's recent IPO conference in South Korea, the company discussed more about its upcoming titles including the next King of Fighters and the reintroduction of Samurai Shodown.

Although it has been more than a year since Yasuyuki Oda claimed that King of Fighters XV "will be a reality," the game is currently scheduled for a 2020 release. Nothing more was said about the title, which is likely in the very early stages of development.

As for Samurai Shodown, the game will apparently be coming to Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam in addition to PlayStation 4. According to TeamPowerGeyser on Twitter, footage of the game was shown but recording and photos were not allowed. SNK also announced that Samurai Shodown is currently set to release sometime in the second quarter of 2019.

New balance patch arrives with Tekken 7 DLC characters

Craig Marduk and Armor King are now available for purchase thanks to the new season two T7 update, but that patch has also brought some tweaks to existing members the game's cast.

According to patch notes translated by Flying Wonkey of Avoiding the Puddle, the big changes center around recent season two additions to the game, including a damage nerf to Steve's new rage drive and fixes to the hitboxes of Anna's moves to help with combo consistency. Geese's meter gain was also reduced by 15 percent.

Players can check out the full list of changes below.

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Craig Marduk, Armor King and Julia Chang coming to Tekken 7, Negan gameplay revealed

If you are wanting to see who else is coming to Tekken 7's season two, the full list is here!

The third, fourth and fifth DLC characters, announced at Tekken World Tour 2018 finals, are all focused on the legacy side of things. Craig Marduk and Armor King return, with a good amount of their moves remaining from their previous appearance in Tekken Tag Tournament 2, along with some new attacks catering to the screw system. Both will be playable for all season two pass owners and as separate downloads on Dec. 3, 2018. Their character trailers can be found after the jump, with a small tease of Julia Chang on Armor King's video!

Announced back in Evolution 2018, The Walking Dead's Negan also gets his gameplay premiere. Using a very cinematic trailer, harkening to his iconic premiere in the TV show, it shows Negan viciously attacking various characters with his baseball bat companion Lucille. The area used in both the show and the trailer will be the newest stage players can access as well. Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan will reprise his role as the Saviors leader. He and Julia both have no date set for their release.

While this was focused on the home platform versions of Tekken 7, it's currently unknown if the coming characters will appear on Tekken 7: Fated Retribution Round 2. Anna Williams and Lei Wulong, the first season two characters, will be included in the arcade update.

You can get Tekken 7 season two pass now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC!

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Dragon Ball FighterZ update trailer shows off new mode, holiday bonuses

While many players have been focused on the balance changes coming to DBFZ in the game's most recent patch, Bandai Namco has put together a short video revealing some other new additions that have been included in the update..

The FighterZ Tournament is a new a online tournament mode that pits players against one another using specific sets of rules. Winners will be given special trophies that can be displayed in the new Z Trophy Rooms, which players can further customize with lobby avatars and specific background music.

There will also be more holiday Z Capsules added starting on Dec. 5, which will offer new stamps, Christmas-themed lobby avatars and a new red-green color for each character.

Readers can check out the trailer after the jump. Dragon Ball FighterZ is currently available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam.

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Gougi changes, move fixes highlight FEXL update

The PlayStation 4 version of Fighting EX Layer will be updated on Nov. 30, 2018, to maintain parity with the launching Steam version of the game, and Arika has listed the changes coming to version 1.1.1 of FEXL.

The biggest gameplay alterations are coming to several of the game's Gougis, as activation requirements for Hunting Dash, Teleport and Ghost have changed. In addition, a number of moves for different characters have been altered to correct unintended interactions and Skullomania and ShadowGeist have had their crouching hurtboxes altered.

Readers can check out the full list of changes on the official Arika Facebook page.

Dragon Ball FighterZ balance patch arriving Nov. 28

[Update Nov. 26, 10:57 p.m. CST]: The patch notes for the update have been released in Japanese and are currently being translated by GreatFernMan. His work can be found on Evernote.

A new gameplay patch is set to shake up the world of DBFZ on the heels of the Dragon Ball FighterZ World Tour's sixth Saga event.

According to Ho-chan, all characters in the DBFZ cast will receive both buffs and nerfs but there will be specific weakening of Bardock and Android 16's level 3 supers. In addition, Kid Buu will receive a buff on one of his supers while a "very commonly used move" will be nerfed.

No othe information about the update is available at this time. Dragon Ball FighterZ is currently available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam. 

New patch for King of Fighters XIV set for late December 2018

A new update will be coming to KOF XIV at the end of December.

The announcement was made during the King of Festival 2018 tournament, but what exactly that update entails was not made public at this time.

It will be interesting to see if more content will be added to KOF XIV or if this will be a final balance patch for the game as SNK diverts its full attention to other projects like Samurai Shodown. The game was last updated with tweaks to the massive 3.0 update that introduced Najd, Blue Mary, Heidern and Oswald to the game in April 2018.

The King of Fighters XIV is currently available for PlayStation 4 and Steam.

A worldly hero: Jeanne slashes into SNK Heroines on Dec. 13

The next character to join SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy will be Jeanne from the classic SNK fighting series World Heroes.

Players in the U.S. might remember her under a slightly different name—Janne D'Arc—but the appearance and characterization are the same as the character who first appeared in 1992. Jeanne joins SNK Heroines with her classic World Heroes techniques along with a samurai-inspired costume and a fancier set of armor as her other alternate outfit.

Readers can check out Jeanne's trailer after the jump. She will be available to players starting on Dec. 13, 2018.

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Arika again teases Sharon for FEXL, 2019 plans coming Dec. 14

A video version of Arika's recently released schedule of events for Fighting EX Layer included another sneak peak at the returning secret agent from the Street Fighter EX series.

It is again a quick glance at Sharon, who first made her debut in Street Fighter EX2, but with the revelation of Arika's 2019 plans fast approaching—the company has pegged Dec. 14 as their release—players will likely know more about her, and perhaps Area and Terry Bogard as well, sooner than later.

Readers can check out the trailer after the jump. Fighting EX Layer is currently available for PlayStation 4 and will be coming to Steam on Nov. 30, 2018.

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