Gundam Versus Alpha Test Happening Locally in Japan, November 26th-27th

It was reported in September that the work-in-progress Gundam Vs. title coming to PlayStation 4 would have a closed Alpha test in Japan; it was recently announced via the official Gundam Versus Twitter that the test will take place between November 26th and 27th, and will not be held online but locally at the developers’ studio. Though these details could be bittersweet news for overseas fans who were hoping to get their hands on the alpha, US fans can at least rest assured that a version of the game with English subtitles is planned.

Source: GundamVersus via Gematsu

Xian on Pro Gamers: “I Definitely Think What We Do is Equivalent to Sport”

Singaporean news channel Channel NewsAsia interviewed RZR|Xian about his rise in the fighting game community, and other topics specifically surrounding his home nation. When asked for his thoughts on Singapore’s esports scene and the way professional players are perceived in his country, here are some things he had to say:

I definitely think what we do is equivalent to sport. We are training just as much as sportspeople train. There is more strategy involved in gaming, and you also need… to maintain focus and concentration, Games could even be harder than sports as you need mental fitness and hard work–with so many things to put into gaming, it should be taken more seriously.

He adds:

If you say talent for gaming, I definitely think Singaporeans have surpassed others (around the world), more so than in any other sports.

I wish the Singapore government would show more support for eSports, because I think our eSports players will definitely win more medals or golds than any sport out there, if we have the chance.

Though there are sure to be arguments on both sides of Xian’s opinion, many fighting gamers could probably agree about the dedication it takes to be a competitive gamer. Though we may not see any Olympic gaming teams in the near future [Editor’s note: Rio’s eGames Showcase was a notable step in that direction], conversations like these can be healthy for the evolution of the competitive gaming community as a whole.

Source: Channel NewsAsia

BlazBlue: Central Fiction Europe Release Date Announced

European fans awaiting for BlazBlue: Central Fiction can rejoice, as their release date has finally been announced. November 4th is the magic day that the latest BlazBlue title will arrive in Europe and, with hype steadily mounting, the day can’t come soon enough.

The North American release date has been confirmed to be November 1st, so it may come as a surprise to hear of a Europe date announced so close in proximity, considering the length between North American and European release dates of BlazBlue titles in the past. Not many details to report at the moment, but we are likely to see some of the same DLC and pre-order perks offered with other regional releases soon.

Source: Dualshockers

Vice Publishes Editorial about Street Fighter V’s Place in Esports

Media outlet Vice just published an article that is a commentary on the current standing of Street Fighter V in the world of esports. The writer, Gareth Dutton, reflects on his trip to EGX 2016 and how some of his observations become personal revelations of what the Street Fighter scene and even the fighting game community is like in the grand scheme of things.

Gareth illustrates how his interactions with “The Beast,” his observation of the pro’s behavior offstage, and comparisons of other esports sponsorships helped shaped his updated perspective. He notes his love for Street Fighter and reverence for the idols in the FGC, but also how–outside of the community–it may not mean as much to those who are involved. He writes:

It suddenly hits me how strange this situation is. In the eyes of a fighting game fan like me, Street Fighter is huge. It’s the most famous fighting game series in the world, the very definition of a household name, and gathered here are many of the world’s top players all milling about in the same hundred square feet of space. But there’s no security, no barriers, no PR reps – there’s just the players, and the fans.

The article is well-written and includes points that Street Fighter fans–especially tournament goers–should find relatable. There are also some high resolution photos from EGX 2015 that include close-ups of top players, and are worth checking out. You can the full article here.

Source: Vice

North Americans Who Pre-Order BlazBlue: Central Fiction Will Get a Free Demo on October 11th

Anyone who pre-orders BlazBlue: Central Fiction via the PlayStation Store will have special access to an October 11th demo of the game. There are no details yet about what features the demo will include, but the Japanese demo that was given with September pre-orders came with Arcade, Training, Versus, and Online Lobby modes, and it is likely that the American version will be the same.

This perk comes a almost a full month before the recently announced November 1st release date for North America, and should give many anxious players a good idea of what to expect from the completed title.

Source: Gematsu

Capcom Announces Premium Street Fighter V Halloween Costumes & Stage Update for October

Getting into the Halloween spirit, Capcom announced an October Street Fighter V update that will include a set of seven spooky premium skins and a creeped-out version of the Underground Arena stage. The costumes will be available for $3.99/3.99€/£3.29–which includes all 10 colors–and the stage can either be purchased for $1.99/1.99€/£1.29 or 40,000 Fight Money. It was also announced that the new costumes and stages will be available to try for free at New York Comic Con, which begins on October 6th and precedes the official release of the update. The exclusive content will only be available from October 11th until November 29th, so Halloween enthusiasts have until then to pick it up.

A Ghostly samurai Ryu, a Franken-Nash and a Wolfman Necalli are just a few of the disguises shown off. Check out the gallery of all the costumes previewed below.

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Source: Capcom-Unity

Maximillian’s Charity Stream Raised $11,000 for Rotendo

To aid fellow fighting game community member Rodalfo “Rotendo” Camarenamora who is dealing with the sudden passing of his wife, Maximillian hosted a charity stream to help cover some expenses the now-single father of three is left with. Max donated $500 dollars of his own money and pledged to contribute an additional $5 for every person who donated. At the end of the Stream, 335 people raised $8,976.89. Max cashed in on his pledge and, in a matter of hours, the total amount of money raised was over $11,000.

Rotendo has expressed his gratitude to Maximillian and everyone who has lent a hand during his difficult time. Anyone still looking to donate can still do by visiting his GoFundMe page.

You can check out Maximillian’s full update about the stream below.

Source: Maximillian

 

Samurai Shodown, Fatal Fury, & King of Fighters ’94 Coming to PS4 Arcade Archives

The roster for Hamster’s Arcade Archive ports now include five retro titles from Neo Geo–and three of them are classic fighting games.

Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown and King of Fighters ’94 will be making their way to PlayStation 4 in Japan, and will be priced at 823 yen (roughly $8 USD) each. The Japan release is scheduled for sometime later this year and, like other Arcade Archive titles, there are plans for future worldwide releases. With Garou: Mark of the Wolves ported and The King of Fighters XIV in full swing, SNK has a pretty healthy next-gen presence so far.

Source: Playstation Blog Japan via Gematsu

UDON Gives Us a Preview of Street Fighter Swimsuit Special #1

With fall just around the corner, UDON reminds us that summer isn’t quite over yet with this preview of Street Fighter Swimsuit Special #1. The lady brawlers of the iconic series put away their fighting gloves and hit the beach in this 32-page pin-up special. The full preview can be seen below and features Chun-Li, Laura, Juri and others posing in their favorite swimwear. If you like what you see, be sure to stop by your local comic shop soon, as the issue is set to hit stores this Wednesday, September 21st.

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Source: UDON Entertainment

Ryu and Jin Kazama Face Off In This Fan-Made 3D Animation Video

3D animation wizard and crossover enthusiast Mighty Racoon! has featured two fighting game icons in his latest creation. As part of a crossover fantasy battle series dubbed ARCADE MODE!, Street Fighter’s Ryu and Jin Kazama of the Tekken series face off in the streets. Both warriors show off signature moves and combos from their respective games and both put up a good fight, but only one comes out on top.

Take a look as a host of the Devil Gene and a keeper of the Satsui no Hadou face each other in battle:

Source: Mighty Racoon!