PND|Ketchup looks at “What’s Changed?” in Injustice 2’s August 2017 balance update

Earlier this week, NetherRealm Studios released patch 1.07, the August update, for Injustice 2. Whereas the game’s last few updates mainly focused on bug fixes and quality-of-life adjustments for the title, this patch provided us with our first set of balance changes for a large majority of the cast — particularly the heroes and villains who had been deemed early top tiers.

As he did for the July update (that brought us DLC character Sub-Zero, as well as a variety of bug fixes and the removal of Trait combos off of throw techs for certain characters), PND|Ketchup continues his “What’s Changed?” series, by looking at every single character that was directly altered — either positively or negatively — in this patch, and explains what the overall changes will mean for each of them going forward.

In the video’s comment section, Ketchup provides timestamps for all 21 characters who have been impacted in alphabetical order.

What are your thoughts on Injustice 2‘s current balance following this update? Were any of your characters impacted? Have these changes caused you to switch characters or to pick up a few new ones? Let us know in the comments section below.

Source: PNDK&M

Evo rules update reinstates coaching, shortens breaks between rounds, and enacts a stage trespassing rule

Though the hype and moments of 2017’s installment of the Evolution Championship Series are still fresh in all of our minds, the staff has already begun instituting some new rules to be put in place for the next competition.

Earlier today, Joey “Mr. Wizard” Cuellar announced via Twitter that the tournament’s rules have been amended to remove the ban on players receiving coaching between rounds of their matches, provided they are not taking place on any Evo tournament stage — but to compensate, the amount of downtime allotted between rounds of each game has been reduced to merely 30 seconds. There has also been a new rule about stage trespassing put into place, which on the official website reads: “Any unauthorized player trespassing on any of the Evo stages, including in the arena, will immediately be ejected and may be arrested at the tournament organizer’s discretion.”

You can view the tweets below, and can take a look at the fully-updated Evo rules here.

Do you think these slight rule alterations are a good idea for future events, based on any prior experience as an attendee? Give us your thoughts on these changes in the comments section below.

Sources: Mr. Wizard (Twitter); BearUNLV (Twitter); Evo

Aganos and Mira Ultimates revealed for Killer Instinct Season 3 as part of the “Ultimates Monster Pack”

Following the release of Eagle to the roster back in June, the content just keeps coming for Iron Galaxy’s Killer Instinct, as the “Ultimates Monster Pack” will be arriving on August 22nd, bearing the iconic finishers for Aganos, Mira, Hisako, Glacius and Sabrewulf. It will be free for all players. As was the case with the last batch, Ultra-Combo.com will be releasing and highlighting one Ultimate each week, as a countdown to the pack’s official release. Today we’ve got the first two Ultimates revealed for this pack, for Aganos and Mira.

First up, the rocky warrior rolls over his foes, encases them in a prison of Chunks, and proceeds to bowl them over with his enormous frame, reducing his enemy to a mere pile of rubble. Meanwhile, the vampiric Mira begins by slicing her opponent’s throat, before nailing them in the back, and finally sucking their blood from their necks off-camera, complete with a slurping sound effect.

You can see videos of both Ultimates below, and don’t forget to check back over the next three weeks for Hisako’s, Glacius’, and Saberwulf’s.

What do you think of the two Ultimates revealed so far? Are you looking forward to the three yet to come in the upcoming pack? Let us know in the comments section.

Killer Instinct is now available for Xbox One and Windows 10. A Steam version was announced at CEO 2017, with release details forthcoming later this year.

Sources: Ultra-Combo.com; Killer Instinct

X-Kira discovers functioning Arcade Mode, costumes, stages, and more in latest Street Fighter V datamining report

If you’ve kept up all with datamining in the world of Street Fighter V, then X-Kira is a name you’re likely to recognize. Though the Brazilian data miner already has a history of leaking some of Capcom’s surprises before they’re officially announced/released, his latest report contains arguably his most interesting discoveries of all.

He notes that eventually we will have weather and time settings on stages, similarly to how the Forgotten Waterfall, Kanzuki Estate, and Shadaloo Base currently have day and night-time variations available in the Shop. He also displays a prototype “V-Mode,” that will perhaps allow all characters to choose alternate V-Skills, V-Triggers, and V-Reversals before the start of a battle in the future, something that has been highly requested by a portion of the fanbase. Next, he displays some screenshots of what appears to be a fully-working version of the “Extra Battle Mode” Capcom mentioned a long ways back, showing battles against Shadaloo Dolls Decapre and Enero, as well as low-ranking Shadaloo Soldiers, all of whom currently serve as NPC opponents in the Cinematic Story Mode: A Shadow Falls. X-Kira mentions that Capcom will implement special stipulations to matches in this mode to increase their challenge and overall difficulty to players, such as the enemy’s stun meter filling more slowly than average (while the player’s will fill up more quickly), players starting with only 50%, 30%, or 10% health (versus a full-health CPU opponent), “Extreme” difficulty, single-hit deaths, completely inverted controls, or being unable to block.

Moving on to some upcoming stages, X-Kira notes the existence of a “Shadaloo Corridor A,” as well as an Ibuki stage, possibly from Street Fighter III. Data is also displayed for a new “Dojo Mode,” as well as placeholders for new, likely Premium, Costumes for M. Bison, Karin Kanzuki, Guile, and Ibuki.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, X-Kira has found an apparently fully-functioning version of the much sought-after Arcade Mode located inside the code of SFV, revealing that it will have a total of 10 stages, which will include a Bonus Stage (hinted to be destroying Abigail’s beloved “vrrroomm vrroommm” monster truck,) as well as “Intrusion” and “Rival” battles, perhaps similar to the character-specific clashes with cutscenes seen in Street Fighter Alpha 3 and Street Fighter IV. Finally, there is a file for “ArcadeEnemy_TypeMAX,” alluding to a Final Boss battle on Stage 10. X-Kira claims to know the identity of this Boss character, but would prefer not to talk about it at this moment — also noting that the Mode could be launched today by Capcom and would run with absolutely no problems, as the core groundwork has already been laid inside the current version of the game.

You can see the entire 60-slide report, in PDF format, here.

This is certainly some interesting information, especially with all the rumors swirling about a Super Street Fighter V being announced in December at PlayStation Experience following the conclusion of Capcom Cup, and could prove that the future of Street Fighter V will be very bright — but it’s important to remember that as unfinished or locked game elements, there is no certainty that any of this will be officially released at all. Time will tell.

SFV Street Fighter V logo white

Source: SRK Forums; via X-Kira’s Facebook Page

Firebrand and Dormammu to be revealed for Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite during Gamescom on August 22-26

With us now in the month of August, and the release of Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite a mere 49 days away, the marketing and promotional efforts for the title are definitely ramping up. As we reported several months ago, Marvel will be releasing a series of special Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite variant covers for several of their titles throughout August. These collectible covers feature various Marvel and Capcom characters duking it out. However, one cover has revealed a pair of currently-unannounced Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 veterans that will be making a return to the roster: Ghosts n’ Goblins’ Firebrand and one of Dr. Strange’s greatest foes, the ruler of the Dark Dimension, Dormammu.

These characters appear on the special variant of Spider-Man vs. Deadpool #20, which kicks off this series of covers when it goes on sale tomorrow, August 2nd. This has prompted the Marvel vs. Capcom official Facebook Page to acknowledge the cover, along with revealing that these two demonic villains will officially be revealed in-game at Gamescom, which takes place in Cologne, Germany on August 22-26. Given that there were four open slots on the San Diego Comic Con build’s character select screen, and we’ve yet to see an official reveal for Jedah Dohma, who was demoed at Evo, it seems very likely we’ll be seeing those three — along with Ghost Rider and the Soul Stone — officially revealed with a trailer at this event.

Are you excited about either of these veterans returning to the battlefield in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite? Will you be picking up this variant cover at your local comic store tomorrow? Let us know in the comments.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite will be released on September 19th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam.

Source: Marvel vs. Capcom (Facebook)

Level 482 Productions break down some of the character changes coming to BlazBlue Central Fiction 2.0

With the conclusion of Evo and the release of patch notes for the upcoming Version 2.0 of BlazBlue: Central Fiction, Level 482 Productions has begun creating a series of videos breaking down the myriad of character changes coming to CF’s cast. So far, their coverage includes:

  • Nine The Phantom
  • Noel Vermillion
  • Mu-12
  • Hazama
  • Hibiki Kohaku
  • Izayoi
  • Hades Izanami
  • Azrael
  • Susano’o
  • Jin Kisaragi
  • Hakumen
  • Rachel Alucard
  • Valkenhayn R. Hellsing

482|MastaStef, Saykin, and Premium Tax examine the likely effects of each translated change, in addition to speculating on potential playstyle and tier list shifts for each character.  They’re looking to cover every single member of the cast before the patch officially hits consoles. You can see all of their current videos below, and keep an eye on their channel as they look at more characters in the future.

BBCF Version 2.0 will be released in arcades on August 3rd, with a console release planned for later this summer. You can see the updated Arcade opening, which includes new challenger Jubei, here.

Source: Level 482 Productions

Bonchan, Haitani and Fuudo craft their Street Fighter V Season 2.5 tier list

Now that everything has calmed following Evo 2017, three of Japan’s strongest Street Fighter V players — Red Bull’s Bonchan and GRAPHT’s Haitani and Razer’s Fuudo — sat down to take stock of the Season 2.5 landscape on the July 25th episode of Kachitagari TV.

Ranking the entire cast from A to D tier, the trio’s high placements of characters like Ibuki, Balrog, Akuma, Cammy and Necalli, while placing the likes of Juri, Alex, Ed and Kolin towards the absolute bottom of the pack isn’t surprising. While Juri and Alex will probably stay in bottom tier until a future balance patch, Ed and Kolin do have the chance to rise up, as they are still under-explored compared to the rest of the cast.

While it’s important to note that this list is just the collective opinion of these players, and should in no way be seen as the absolute final word on where these characters rank. Nevertheless, it’s a great look at how the competitive meta is shaping up following the mid-Season balance changes, and it will be interesting to see how if Abigail’s arrival will drastically change this list. You can see the full list below:

A: Ibuki, Balrog, Rashid, Cammy, Karin, Necalli, Akuma

B: Zangief, Guile, M. Bison, Urien, R. Mika, Birdie, Laura

C: F.A.N.G, Ken, Ryu, Nash, Vega, Chun-Li, Dhalsim

D: Kolin, Ed, Juri, Alex

Uni_Papapapa also clarified a few things about the placements on Twitter. Noting that the group originally had Laura in C Tier, but decided to eventually move her up to B, as Fuudo mentioned that she beats B-ranked Rainbow Mika two times in a row. Though it’s not clearly defined, a character’s placement on the list was mostly based off of whether or not they have a lot of disadvantageous match-ups, as well as each warrior’s current success in recent tournaments. Javits Arias also compared it to his own Season 2.5 tier list he made back in late June, specifically noting how similar their top tier picks were, particularly when it came to Cammy. You can see the Tweets below.

Do you agree or disagree with this list? If so, how exactly do you believe the SFV cast stacks up to each other at this point in Season 2.5? Let us your thoughts and leave your own personal tier lists in the comments section below.

Sources: TOPNAGA TV; shirauzutasia (Twitter); Uni_Papapapa (Twitter); Javits Arias (Twitter)

Check out the top 5 plays of the Injustice 2 Pro Series at Evo 2017

Much like CapcomFighters has been doing with Street Fighter V clips at their Capcom Pro Tour events, NetherRealm Studios has also begun counting down their top 5 plays of the Injustice 2 Pro Series events, with the latest installment being from Evo 2017.

Narrated by NRS Community Specialist Tyler Lansdown, the spotlighted sequences include Stream.Me’s Perfect Legend utilizing his 12th-level intellect to score a victory over Big Boy’s Black Adam in pools; NASR|Tekken Master making a breathtaking Magic Pixel comeback against PXP|A Foxy Grampa; Noble|Semij shattering the dreams of EchoFox|Sonic Fox in his quest to claim his 4th consecutive Evo championship in an NRS game; Noble|Dragon finishing off HoneyBee to claim his first Evo championship; and finally, HoneyBee utilizing the power of the Speed Force to conquer Echo Fox|Theo to secure that place in the grand finals.

As the Injustice 2 Pro Series continues to roll on, with the game’s first balance patch looming, as well as Sub-Zero and Starfire inevitably entering the ring, it is undeniable that the hype moments will only continue as the game matures. You can relieve all of the action for yourself — or experience these great moments for the very first time — below!

Source: PlayStation

“Bizarro number one, not Superman!” New Premiere Skin teased for Injustice 2

Yesterday, the official Injustice 2 Twitter account sent out an interesting Tweet, posting an image of Bizarro, with the quote, “Bizarro number one, not Superman!” For those unaware, Bizarro is an imperfect clone of Superman created by Lex Luthor, who possesses all of the Kryptonian’s powers, but none of his intellect or reasoning skills. Though he served as a major antagonist as a member of The Regime during Year 5 of the Injustice: Gods Among Us prequel comic series, he was thought to have been killed by Doomsday, but it seems he will be officially joining the battlefield as a Premiere Skin for Superman.

Taking the form of alternative Shaders, Premiere Skins serve as alternate costumes that have allowed NetherRealm Studios to place popular characters who may not have warranted separate character slots, due to having similar power sets — such as Mr. Freeze, John Stewart, Reverse-Flash, Power Girl, and Vixen — into the game, with their own sets of unique dialogue and character-specific intros.

We first caught a glimpse of the cloned Kryptonian during the Starfire reveal trailer at San Diego Comic Con, where she was incinerated by flame breath (instead of Kent’s usual ice breath), as well as ice vision in place of heat vision. Though Premiere Skins up to this point have shared the exact same animations and attacks as their original counterparts, perhaps Bizarro will be the first to have unique effects added to Superman’s standard moveset? Though no other information about his release date was given, we can likely expect more information during the upcoming Watchtower livestream for Starfire in the near future. You can see the tweet below, and you can spot him at the 36-second mark during Starfire’s trailer.

What do you think about El-Kal joining Injustice 2? Will this persuade you to pick up the Man of Steel, despite his upcoming nerfs in the game’s first balance patch? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.

Sources: InjusticeGame (Twitter) via Test Your Might; Injustice

Frabisaur teaches us how to fight zoners in Street Fighter V with episode 12 of The Fighter’s Dojo

After a break to return to Marshall’s Dojo with AceUnlimited, Genex|Frabisaur is back with episode 12 of The Fighter’s Dojo. After covering how to best fight against the grapplers of Street Fighter V, Frabisaur now takes a look at how to deal with the game’s primary zoners: specifically Guile, F.A.N.G and Dhalsim.

Noting that zoners in any game thrive off of the psychological aspect of frustration, Frabisaur advises practicing patience, testing the player’s defense, maximizing knockdown opportunities, and forcing them to be put into scramble situations they may be unable to handle properly.

For Guile, Frabisaur recommends waiting out the initial storm of the Air Slasher’s zoning, as most of the Guile’s he’s encountered will tend to get frustrated and begin approaching, allowing you a chance to mount your own attack, without having to wade through the minefield of Sonic Booms, Flash Kicks, and Sonic Crosses. He also notes that there are two key times when you can successfully jump against Guile, without fearing the threat of a Flash Kick. Either when he has recently walked, as he won’t have enough time to prepare a charge, or if you know you’re going to cross him up, as he has nothing to effectively cover that type of attack. Lastly, Bazooka Knee and Reverse Spin Kick are -2 and -3 on block, so feel free to challenge them.

On the subject of battling Yoga master Dhalsim, knowing when to move is imperative. Frabisaur suggests reacting to his fireball animations, dashblocking after guarding one of his Heavy normals, and don’t panic when he uses his V-Skill.

Finally, Frabisuar moves on to the self-proclaimed “Number Two” of Shadaloo, F.A.N.G. Declaring him a “lure” character, as he has the outward appearance of a zoning character, with none of the actual strengths of the archetype. Frabisaur advises to exploit him trying to place Ryobendas, as they’re an important facet of his entire game, as the other poison attacks are too weak and slow for him to effectively time anyone out. His standing heavy punch is also -2, so it shouldn’t be respected, and his turn has ended.

For more tips, as well as match footage of Frabsiaur putting these tactics into practice online, watch the full episode below.

If you’d like more assistance or have any other questions, you can contact Frabisaur on Twitter, or join his weekly streams on Thursday nights at https://www.twitch.tv/frabisaur, starting at 7:30 PM EST.

Source: Frabisaur