The previously teased heroine of Xblaze: Code Embryo, Es, stars in Arc System Works’ latest trailer for BlazBlue: Central Fiction.
This time, we get a much better look at her combos at work, in particular. We get to see how her attacks chain together and even mix up into an overhead. As for her Drive, it makes Crests appear on the screen after her attacks, which she can utilize to buff follow-up moves. There’s also footage of her Distortion Drives and her Exceed Accel, which is a new technique added in Central Fiction.
Es is the first downloadable content character for Central Fiction.
The console-exclusive Es joins the playable cast of 32 characters. She will be available with the Japanese release on October 6th of this year, and later this Winter in North America and Europe.
Those planning to tune in to Evo streams, rejoice! Source, the highest streaming quality provided solely to Twitch Partners, will be available during this year’s competition for your viewing pleasure, subscription or no.
We are making a change to the Twitch Subscriptions this year. We will no longer lock source behind the paywall, but you get emotes forever!
While the highest quality viewing will be possible without a subscription, those looking to access the Evo Twitch emotes–or those who want to support the scholarship fund–can still subscribe. The emotes will remain accessible year-round.
Evo is set to take place July 15-17 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
When it comes to Guilty Gear, the Evolution Championship Series is not just a test to see which player outshines the rest; it’s also a reunion of sorts. Though the distance between the island of Japan and North America hasn’t shrunk at all, maybe the same can’t be said about the skill gap. Will the Japanese triumph once again at the Las Vegas crowning tournament, or will a player from another country upset their dominance and earn worldwide respect?
Usually, console releases lag far behind the arcade, which gives Japanese competitors an innate advantage. Arc System Works slightly changed this flow with an “early access” PlayStation 4 demo of Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR-. While even that extra month or so is not that meaningful of a timeframe, it at least gave valuable preparation time for new characters like Johnny, Jack-O’, and Jam. Raven and Kum Haehyun, the two console-exclusive entrants, will also have a chance to display their tech. -REVELATOR- has been out in arcades since August 2015, though other than a few system changes, there aren’t drastic modifications to the cast. It’s not like Dizzy is coming out right before Evo, right (ahem, Street Fighter V)?
Moreso than the demo, in other ways, there’s been more communication than before between the two scenes. Thanks to MajinObama, we have English commentary on premiere exhibitions streamed by Joniosan. GodsGarden regularly streams on YouTube, usually showcasing top players like Machabo, who frequently explain how to beat certain characters. Short of an actual “Fighting Game Player Wiki,” which Japanese players actually have, it’s easier than ever for international fighters to find resources and communicate thanks to services like Twitter and Discord.
So Who’s Coming?
An online resource lists 87 Japanese players (Gear players are marked with ギル) confirmed for Evolution. Two notable names that are not on the list are Karinchu and Ain. As MajinObama stated during an interview with Shoryuken, work and other life reasons can get in the way of traveling abroad, even if it’s for a tournament as important as Evo.
Jonio, Samitto, Machabo, Rion, Nage, Kazunoko, Nakamura, Koichi, and FAB are probably the more famous names on the list.
FAB is a legendary Potemkin player, and watching him bury unprepared players should provide some of the most hype at this year’s Evo. Potemkin is a rare breed, so that’s all the more to FAB’s advantage, not to mention frame-perfect execution and other miracles he performs on a regular basis. It’s also worth keeping an eye out on 310, a Venom player known for crazy setups.
The players who are tying up with characters considered particularly strong, like Sin and Johnny, are Dogura, Machabo, and Jonio. Machabo in particular presents himself as a potential winner, though it was Dogura who had the opportunity to gain experience at Community Effort Orlando 2016, the biggest US event leading up to Evo. HM|Dogura not only triumphed but started to use Johnny in addition to Sin, a monstrous combination. On a more intriguing note, GGP|Kazunoko fought against him as Raven. Raven’s had a short run since he’s a console exclusive character, so Evo will be a stage that helps players decide their thoughts on the immortal masochist.
Can’t forget about Ogawa, the winner of the last year’s Evolution. No Woshige this time, however.
What about the players from other countries and the US?
While the Japanese players dominated CEO, that event and Combo Breaker 2016 point to some standouts, most notably Kid Viper (Johnny), PAG|Lost Soul (Elphelt), Faulty Defense (Sin), and PG|MarlinPie (Zato-1). Those players also happen to use very strong characters in the game, so the odds are in their favor in many matchups.
Lost Soul had an amazing set against MarlinPie at Combo Breaker, which definitely contributed to the Japanese players’ recognition of Lost Soul, who set up a Wiki page for him. Elphelt has a terrifying reputation in the States, and interestingly, it’s not quite the same in Japan. Perhaps Lost Soul will change that even more with this tournament. Faulty Defense also fought Kid Viper at that tournament.
Reunion
Obviously, there are many more great players from US, Canada, Colombia, and Korea, among other countries. While the above listed can be seen as “favorites,” there’s certainly room for surprises. Upsets can come from a lesser-known player, a new console character like Raven, or a fighter considered less powerful. Heck, FAB has good chances of getting far despite using a character easily killable by Sin. What’s going to be exciting to see is a check of skill between Japan and the rest of the world. This event is going to tell us a lot about how far apart the scenes are.
Furthermore, the highest placing North American player qualifies to play at Toushinsai 2016, a Fall tournament in Japan. Aksys Games will also run a separate Toushinsai Qualifier tournament, so two people have a chance to step up.
Who are you speculating to win this year’s Evolution? Will it be Japan? Who’s your favorite player?
