Killer Instinct players will soon be able to unlock new Shadow Skins as a part of the 3.5 update on November 22nd. The 3.5 update also marks 3 years since the game initially launched on Xbox One. The costumes can be unlocked in-game through the use of Shadow Points or purchased with KI Gold.
Players can rack up Shadow Points by battling Shadows in the recently added Shadow Lords mode as well as by utilizing the Shadow Lab and competing against your own Shadow replays.
Killer Instinct is currently playable on Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs. Those playing on PC will need to update their operating systems to the most recent Anniversary Update in order to receive the upcoming November Update. Iron Galaxy plans to release all the competitive patch notes for patch 3.5 tomorrow, so stay tuned to Shoryuken for all the changes.
Check out two of the new Shadow Skins in action in a Glacius vs Rash matchup below!
A retrospective of the 2016 tournament that crossed the nation.
It’s not that easy being “green”
The energy drink creator and esports sponsor Red Bull hosted the Red Bull Proving Grounds, a tournament that spanned six cities over the summer of 2016. The event was designed to give players across North America the opportunity to compete against similarly-skilled players with less than 100 Capcom Pro Tour points.
The Proving Grounds gave players nationwide the chance to compete in tournaments like never before. The usual hot-spots for tournaments are New York in the east, California in the west, and once a year in Las Vegas with Evo. This proves difficult for players wishing to escape anonymity due to travel and financial constraints. Along came the odd-colored bull, with hopes of changing the scene and discovering unfound talent.
Many players were incredibly appreciative of the opportunity for greater representation. Devon Petties, known as MikeandIke12, only recently began competing in the fighting game scene, starting in 2014. Normally, the player competes online due to travel constraints, but thanks to the convenient location of the Proving Grounds, he was able to promote himself and his skills with Laura, all leading to a sponsorship with Gut Tough Gaming.
“The only reason I went was because it was close, it was only a 30-minutes away from my house,” said MikeandIke. “It was also really cheap, I thought to myself, 20 dollars, I can do that!”
Naasi Nixon, another player from the east coast, goes by the name Ice Effect in the fighting game community. The player flew all the way from Atlanta, GA to represent his home state and the players supporting him. In the end, Ice Effect just wants to be recognized among his peers.
“I’m a very competitive guy, but really I just want to be known,” said Ice Effect. “I want someone to look at me and say, ‘Hey, there’s that guy, he’s really good!”
For many players, the Proving Grounds was their first major event. Jonathan Ng, known by the letters JLMN, journeyed all the way from Southern California to Seattle to participate in the competition. This Bison player rose above the competition, claiming first place in the region. He wants to prove that Bison can be a competitively viable character and will go to any lengths to do so.
“Not a whole lot of players use Bison,” said JLMN. “Nothing is given to you with Bison, you have to work hard for your victories.”
Red Bull gave plenty of players the chance to prove they’ve got what it takes to rise above the competition, along with the grand prize of $2000 and an all-expense paid trip to the Red Bull Battle Grounds in Seatle, running from November 4–6.
The players aren’t too tense before the finals commence
SRK was invited to Red Bull’s headquarters in Santa Monica, California to attend the event to get to know the players in a setting that was nothing but personal. The players all practiced, discussed, and lounged about the Red Bull auditorium room. One day later, this room would be filled with incredible feats of sportsmanship from all sides.
Van Nguyen, the lone combatant from Canada, spent much of the day before the big event observing his competitors and their playstyles along with some helpful online tools.
“It’s really cool to experience this, it’s at a different level than I have ever experienced,” said Nguyen. “I think watching videos helps, seeing what all the other top players are doing, seeing how they deal with certain situations, seeing what their tactics consist of, strategies, and so on.”
Twenty-two-year-old, Julian Jones, also known as Squall, ranked 3rd in the Chicago branch of the Proving Grounds by playing Necalli. Squall has been playing competitively since he was 18. Over the course of his competitive career, the player has been balancing school, athletics, and Street Fighter.
“The atmosphere is incredible,” said Squall. “Being one of the top 16 players, this is where dreams come true.”
Christopher Gonzalez, more commonly known as NYChrisG, has been around the competitive fighting game scene since 2010, but was in the arcade scene. He spent most of his time relaxing the day before the competition alongside MikeandIke12.
“I’m feeling pretty good, chilling, talking a bunch of crap,” said ChrisG. “I think that’s the best part of going to tournaments!”
By the end of the day, each player got to know their competitors very well in that auditorium through practicing, spectating, and comradery.
The tournament with an audience both big and small
The Red Bull Proving Grounds was streamed online via Twitch, and witnessed by thousands at a time. The true audience consisted of the players, the casters, and staff all in Red Bull’s corporate screening room.
Marcus Redmond, aka The Cool Kid 93, had the most vocal support in the room. This Rashid player had his partner-in-crime, Joy Goodwin accompany him for the final competition and she made sure the crowd knew he meant business.
The Twitch chat was live with fans of every competitor. The digital commentary went by so quickly it was hard to keep up. The one thing that they may not have known is that there was a 20-second delay between what occurred and what was seen on the screen.
That being said, the Red Bull showroom was also on a timer set to turn itself off after so many minutes of activity. This led to common instances of the players gathering around a certain journalist’s laptop screen to catch every moment of the tournament.
Michael Mendoza, known by his commentator name, IFCYipeS, also discussed the tournament outside of his stream among the competitive audience. Sometimes the rowdiest of the bunch, YipeS always had something profound to say.
“First and foremost, guys of this caliber, like Red Bull, for them, just being involved it’s just a beautiful thing,” said YipeS. “It gives us more of an opportunity to get into the grassroots of things of the FGC.”
James Chen, alternatively known as JChensor, was one of the commentators of the Proving Grounds. He appreciated the lengths Red Bull went through to promote unknown talent.
“It’s cool to see these guys treated the same as everyone else,” said Chen. “I am sure these guys are just as good as the pro players out there, but they don’t get to travel.”
After each game, players congratulated the victor and consoled those who didn’t make it. There may have only been one winner, but every player in the audience acted as one. They cheered together, laughed together, and shouted together. It was obvious that every player wanted to win, but they were cordial with one another from beginning to end.
Propositions for the future of competition
While Red Bull certainly deserves to be commended for undergoing such a large scale event, there are a number of things to be learned from the expedition.
The Proving Grounds did a good job of reaching out to players on the outskirts of the U.S., but Canada only received one spot and the entire middle of the U.S. was left out. In order to establish a complete assessment of a continent’s skills, every major region needs to be accounted for.
Understandably this is a very large undertaking. Hopefully, the Proving Grounds found the success it needed to grant more players their chance at the spotlight. There were online matches to accommodate players who could not attend, but they were not given the same kind of treatment as their physical counterparts.
The event would also benefit from a more cohesive website. The information surrounding the event was spread across multiple pages of the Proving Grounds website. Some information was only shared in video format. It would be much more beneficial for both players and spectators to have all of the details regarding the event to be held in one place.
More frequent updates would also be appreciated. Additional information on the top 16 players was not officially released until the day of the tournament. The official rankings remain to be updated on the official site days after the event.
The company should also be more proactive when it comes to adjusting its production. Red Bull officials asked the players what needed to change about the production in order to make it more comfortable after the first day of the finals.
This led to the players being required to wear provided headsets. Some players found the headwear uncomfortable and unstable. NYChrisG’s headset muted the sound a number of times during his final bout with Di3mini0n, causing the player to lose focus. All things considered, the changes should have been made after the dress-rehearsal, not mid-way into the tournament.
In the end, the Red Bull Proving Grounds certainly proved one thing: The need for local competition has never been higher. After the showcase of talent from across North America, more players will see the event as their opportunity to play among the greatest talents in the community.
All they needed was the opportunity. Hopefully, it won’t all be on Red Bull’s shoulders. Other companies need to see the benefit in supporting local scenes. There are players out there with the talent, all they need is that one chance to make their mark in history.
Today, in the ever expanding Dragon Ball timeline, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 releases throughout North America for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Bandai Namco also released an interview with internationally acclaimed DJ, Steve Aoki, examining his work in Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2.
Aoki discusses his humble beginnings in anime, including his involvement with an anime club during his college years. The DJ also elaborates on his favorite characters, with Goku being an “obvious” choice, but also praising Gohan for his development in the Cell Saga.
Aoki finds himself extraordinarily humbled to be a part of Dragon Ball history through his music in Xenoverse 2.
“It’s a dream come true,” says Aoki. “How could I tell my fourteen-year-old self, that I would actually have a song in a video game?”
The DJ’s work on Xenoverse 2 includes remixes of Dragon Ball classics like “Cha-La Head-Cha-La” and “We Got Power.” Players can also expect to find Aoki as a non-playable-character within the actual game.
Be sure to download the free Steve Aoki pack to take advantage of these features.
Check out the entire interview below!
It’s time to defend Dragon Ball history again!
To celebrate Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 even further, Bandai Namco released a launch trailer that showcases everything the epic sequel has to offer.
The launch trailer should prove helpful to those who are still on the fence on whether or not to invest in the title. Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 will release later in Europe and Steam on October 28. The Japanese version will be sold on November 2.
A season pass is also available for purchase for those looking to get more out of their hyper-fighting game. The pass includes four additional content packs as well as early access to Future Trunks from Dragon Ball Super. Also from Super, Frost and Kyabe have been confirmed as the first two characters to be added to the title through future DLC.
Day One editions give players access to Goku Black, so those wanting to take advantage of the character should pick up their copy as soon as possible!
Watch the launch trailer in all of its glory below!
Bandai Namco have released the first look at pre-order character Goku Black for Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, at the advent of its special Twitch event that showcased new features and gameplay among top players.
Goku Black is a brand new character from the ongoing Dragon Ball Super series. He is vicious, dangerous, and undeniably evil. The character will be granted to those who purchase either the Day One edition of the game or the Collector’s Edition. Black’s recent Super Saiyan Rosé transformation has yet to be confirmed for the title.
The new trailer exhibits some of Black’s killer combos against the Super Saiyan Blue version of the proud prince Vegeta.
About half an hour after releasing the trailer, Bandai Namco announced that Frost and Kyabe from Dragon Ball Super will be joining the roster through the game’s first DLC pack.
These characters are from the sixth universe in the Dragon Ball series while the main cast resides in the seventh. In Dragon Ball Super, the top fighters from both universes face off in a grand tournament to decide the fate of the cosmos!
ANNOUNCEMENT! Frost & Kyabe will both be part of the first DLC pack for Dragon Ball XENOVERSE 2. Stay tuned here for more info! #Xenoverse2pic.twitter.com/Oe5hGWVgAR
PlayStation 4 users will be able to participate in an open beta for the game starting today (October 14) and ending October 17. Players will receive a special item for helping developers polish the game before its final release.
Those unable to test out the game won’t have to wait long! Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 releases in North America on PS4 and Xbox One on October 25. European players will be able to purchase the game on October 28. Xenoverse 2 will release on Steam on October 28 to an international audience. The title will finally release in Japan on November 2.
After a number of leaks and gameplay videos, Arc System Works has officially released new information and screenshots surrounding BlazBlue: Central Fiction’s unlockable character, Susano’o, via Japanese website, Famitsu.
Moments before the Japanese release of Central Fiction, a screenshot was leaked, confirming the existence of the secret character. Players who complete the game’s story mode will be rewarded with this dastardly version of the leader of the Six Heroes.
Central Fiction’s official website has also been updated to feature the new character along with his own character movie. Check out Susano’o’s page for more wicked gameplay footage!
BlazBlue: Central Fiction releases November 1 on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 in North America. The title will release in Europe shortly after, on November 4.
In the dead of night, Team Ninja released a new trailer for Dead or Alive 5 Last Round, showing this year’s Halloween outfits in motion. This year’s selection are as over the top as ever, matching the colorful cast to a tee.
35 of the playable characters will be receiving a new costume option. This unfortunately leaves out the most recently released DLC fighter, Mai Shiranui (from the King of Fighters series). Players will be able to purchase the new costumes for their favorite fighters or in one massive spooky package on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. PC players will only have the option to purchase the entire trick-or-treat ensemble.
According to the trailer, the costumes will be available starting today, October 11, on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam. Check out the latest trailer below!
Street Fighter isn’t the only title that’s suiting up for this year’s Halloween festivities. Japanese magazine Famitsu revealed that Dead or Alive 5: Last Round will soon receive another batch of Halloween costumes to spice up the jack-o-lantern-littered battlefield.
The celebratory costumes will only be available for 35 of the playable characters, leaving out the most recently released cross-over character Mai Shiranui (from the King of Fighters series). Folks will be able to purchase the new threads separately, or altogether in one discounted package on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. Those on PC will need to purchase the complete set if they wish to participate in the Halloween party.
Those hoping to immediately expand their characters’ wardrobes will have to wait just a tad longer, since a release date for the new costumes has yet to be announced.
Check out the Famitsu screenshots made available by DualShockers below!
Bandai Namco adds more fuel to the Xenoverse 2 fire.
Bandai Namco has released a brand new trailer showcasing the elements involved with Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2’s “Expert Missions.” The trailer gives players an idea of what the tutorial session will be like when they get their hands on the full game.
In the new mode, players will engage in combat with massive enemies. The bosses in these “Expert Missions” will have the unique ability to enlist player characters to fight for their cause. Players are then required to enter the “World of Mind Control” to regain command. Mind control is one of the primary plot devices in the Xenoverse series. Characters both good and evil are constantly having their agency taken by the primary antagonists; this time, the players themselves will be faced with the consequences of this dastardly hypnosis. Check out the trailer below!
The power required to play on PC revealed!
The requirements for the PC version of the game were also released, for players hoping to head to battle on Steam. The game requires a PC to have an operating system of Windows 7 or higher, an AMD Phenom II X4 945, 3.0GHz or an Intel Core2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz processor, 2 GB of memory, a GeForce GT 650 or Radeon HD 6570 GPU, 2 GB of VRAM and DirectX: 11 at minimum. The game recommends players to have a PC with Windows 10, an Intel Core i5-3470 3.20GHz or AMD FX-6300 3.5Ghz processor, 4 GB of memory, a GeForce GT 660 or Radeon HD 7770 GPU, 2 GB of VRAM and DirectX: 11.
Don’t forget about the upcoming beta!
PlayStation 4 users will be able to enjoy both closed and open betas for the game later this month. The closed beta begins on October 8 and the open beta starts on October 14.
Those unable to join the beta won’t have to wait for long! Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 releases in North America on PS4 and Xbox One on October 25. Those in Europe will be able to get the game on October 28. The Steam version will release on October 28 as well with an international release. The Japanese version of the title will become available on November 2.
Dynamite Entertainment announced the development of a comic book adaptation of the hit Xbox One title: Killer Instinct. This announcement comes a few days prior to New York Comic Con, which takes place on October 6.
Dynamite Director of Business Development Rich Young made a few comments about the venture on ComicBook:
This is a game that has a rich history now… and they keep adding to it with more cool characters and game features on a regular basis. I’ve spoken a couple times with the KI team, and their passion really comes through… It’s going to be a very fun world to play around in!
The first issue of the comic book is set to be released in late 2017. Additional details will be shared in the near future.
Killer Instinct received a Definitive Edition on September 20 that includes 26 characters and 20 stages from the game’s past three seasons of content.
XSEED Games has announced that Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel is set to release this winter on Steam. According to Destructoid, the PC release will feature “new victory animations for some fighters, animated stage backgrounds, and menu settings in training mode which are now saved from the player’s last play session.”
The game features a total of 14 playable characters from anime, manga, and visual novels released by the Japanese developer Nitroplus. Players are able to take advantage of 20 support characters that add to the depth of battle. The title originally released on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 earlier this year.
Nitroplus Blasterz was featured at EVO 2016 through a side tournament. Check out the tournament’s intense battles in the highlight video below.
