Star WWE wrestler Xavier Woods (Austin Creed) and independent wrestler Kenny Omega have been feuding for a while now, healthily trash-talking each other via Twitter, dissing each other’s Street Fighter V skills.
Name a time and a place, Creed! (when you aren’t being a shill for every game that’s ever released just to bump your sub numbers.) https://t.co/tDUGGEwW92
Love winding down with some of my own sick #SFV clips. The patience, the intelligence, the clutch. I work hard to wax my super diamonds. You think you can compete with a technician like this, @XavierWoodsPhD ?!?! Absolute mastery – it’s no wonder I beat Tokido. pic.twitter.com/yElx18xrjq
They certainly respect each other as wrestlers, but when it comes to their fighting game skills, it’s another story. So, of course, Capcom is going to capitalize on this rivalry and will grant a digital ring to the fighters at E3. The two have faced each other before at CEO 2016, where Kenny Omega beat Xavier Woods. This continued into 2017, where Woods had his revenge. Sitting at 1-1, this year is looking to be the reckoning.
This will actually be a team battle exhibition, so each wrestler will be joined by two mysterious teammates. The rivalry will be settled at 1:00 PM PT, June 14th, during this year’s E3 — and broadcast on the Capcom Fighter’s Twitch channel.
Many members of the FGC miss Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, which isn’t even available on any current-generation consoles. Until we see a newer version — or a re-release for the PlayStation 4 — the community has to go back the PS3… If you ever enjoyed P4U2, take the time to view the latest exhibition from Exceed Accel tonight to relive the heated action from that game.
This Thursday @ 6pm CST, Exceed Assault: P4U2 Edition goes live on @NYGamer's twitch: https://t.co/w46sK80xjQ ! We got a lot of sets to kick this one off, a lot of oldie but goodies coming back to play P4U! Commentary will be provided by the wonderful @LV20NYC & @baceNYC ! pic.twitter.com/9pqdjD4T1Z
The action starts over on the twitch.tv/nygamer today, at 6:00 PM CT / 4:00 PM PT / 7:00 PM ET. LV20NYC and baceNYC will commentate the sets. As for the players, expect the following:
1st Set (FT5): Chickzama (Shadow Labrys/Adachi) vs. Bloo (Yu)
2nd Set (FT7): Wear Tear Rust (Shadow Yu/Kanji) vs. Rennikz (Kanji)
3rd Set (FT7): Kyokugen (Labrys) vs. Tectal (Rise)
4th Set (FT7): DFAxCalamity (Junpei) vs. Chielover (Chie)
5th Set (FT7): Jive Turkey vs. Jiv (Adachi/Sho Minazuki/Shadow Yu)
6th Set (FT10): Scary Yandere (Shadow Labrys) & Moo (Shadow Labrys) vs. OmniSScythe (Adachi) & Antiquarian (Adachi, Shadow and regular Mitsuru)
7th Set (FT10): Atarax (Elizabeth) & Fortune (Margaret) vs. Ethral (Elizabeth) & Mecha Oni (Sho Minazuki)
The potential for more fates to cross in Arc System Work’s latest fighting game seems infinite. Toshimichi Mori, the game’s producer and director, has expressed interest in adding even more franchises into BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle. One of those franchises seems to be Nier: Automata, a game he likes very much.
Forbes caught up with Mori in an interview post-release of the game (Forbes interviewed Mori two years ago, where he mentioned that he likes RWBY, which facilitated the collaboration with Rooster Teeth). The new interview talks about switching from Unreal Engine 3 to 4, which seems to be more visually-focused.
But RWBY fans will be happy to hear that Mori “would love to” see additional characters from that franchise in BBTAG, particularly Penny and Adam. Mori is conflicted however over developing something that fans want versus realizing his own vision. When asked about what he has been playing lately, he named Nier: Automata, and also said the following:
“Hey, we should release 2B and 9S on BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle. Yeah, that would be good. I would want to play that. Should I ask them? Haha.”
Are you heading to Daytona Beach this summer? If you like to mix fighting games with beach outings, then CEO 2018 is the event for you. If that’s not enough to convince you to get on that low-cost airline — and your soul still burns — then you’ll be delighted to know that SoulCalibur VI will be playable at the event.
Their Twitter account posted the announcement, claiming that more information will come soon. Curiously, the tweet prominently features Maxi, the latest roster reveal for the upcoming Bandai Namco fighter. Could this suggest that the recently-revealed characters absent from other public demos will be playable here, in an updated SoulCalibur VI build?
Our SOULS still BURN in Daytona! Thanks to @BandaiNamcoUS we'll be featuring a playable demo area with @SOULCALIBUR VI at #CEO2018! Expect more information soon!
Bandai Namco’s weapons fighter made its last appearance at Combo Breaker 2018, which was without much fanfare; it was still the same build of the game, which featured only Mitsurugi, Sophitia, Nightmare, Grøh, Kilik, and Xianghua. Since February, other than the above-mentioned Maxi, we’ve seen the reveals of Ivy and Zasalamel, Geralt, Siegfried, Taki, and Yoshimitsu. We will await official confirmation — but until then, let’s hope to see some new swords and souls clash on the Stage of History at CEO 2018.
It’s that time at last, folks. Whether you wanted to the Japanese copy of the game (released last week) or have faithfully awaited the English version, BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle is now playable on your chosen device (PlayStation 4, Steam, or Nintendo Switch). With that, the Arc System Works America YouTube channel posted a special launch trailer that shows off the game and features producer Toshimichi Mori.
Mori appears at the beginning, playing the game in the background, and he addresses the fans about wanting to “show the world how interesting fighting games can be.” He believes the game to have the right combination of depth for enthusiasts and accessibility for newcomers, but above all, he wants it to be a fun experience.
The actual trailer starts two minutes in, and it’s an energetic montage that shows off gameplay and the cast in action with English voices. We see all the characters in action (even the not-yet-release team RWBY member, Yang) and get a brief overview of the modes available in the game.
It’s a crossing of fates no one had expected. An offshoot in the BlazBlue series: Persona, Under Night, and RWBY franchises tag in to some 2v2 anime action. It’s a dream crossover that feels like fan-fiction at times, but its frenetic action and opportunities for creativity show promise for a title with strong appeal to newcomers and experts alike.
A GLADOS-like computer with mysterious plans constucts the Phantom Field, a sort of fake amalgamation of stages from the worlds of each game, and starts bringing in heroes. It pits them in a race for the Keystone, which is a competition between all the worlds. The plot is a bit contrived, but BlazBlue fans will be used to this storytelling style, filled with complicated vocabulary and humorous filler. It’s also hilarious to see cross-franchise interactions – like when Ragna meets Under Night’s Gordeau and they discusses the differences between their powers, or when Ragna is ambushed by multiple robot girls at once from each world.
It is great to see the same English voice cast return to the BlazBlue and Persona characters, who perform really well in their roles. It feels like Arc Sys wants to cater to English fans as much as possible. It’s exciting to see new voices from the Under Night characters, but it’s also a pleasure to hear the original voice actresses from RWBY. In collaboration with Rooster Teeth, ArcSys has done an incredible job bringing Ruby, Weiss, and Blake into the fray; each of them feels energetic, original, and incredibly fun to play.
Speaking of voice acting, the game is packed with adorable special intros and quips between characters. Most characters will call their partner by name, and you can see relationships resonate between various partners. Occasionally though, there are awkwardly long pauses because of the language differences with Japanese. Some lines could have used an additional word or two.
But the real piece of the Azure is of course hidden in the streamlined battle system of Cross Tag. ArcSys asked themselves a simple but genius question: What if the inputs for all moves were the same?
Without ever having played Gordeau or Waldstein or any other character I’m unfamiliar with, the game’s universal move list makes jumping between fighters effortless. Most characters have a couple of quarter circle moves, all supers are done the same way, and everyone has a Dragon Punch. Walking is removed from the game, as characters just dash right away, which makes some combos a lot easier. You can even map an air dash to a single button press.
Thanks to the auto-combo system, which admittedly hides some special moves between multiple presses of the A or B buttons, it’s very easy to chain combos with partner tags, also done with one button. The auto-combo system, which was introduced back in Persona 4 Arena, has evolved to greatly simplify basic bread-and-butter sequences, though it doesn’t mean that advanced combos are easy, as those require precise timings with a partner.
The complexity emerges in the defensive and offensive systems of the game. BBTAG feels much different from say, Central Fiction, where you could jump in and barrier block. Here, everyone has a reversal move that’s completely air unblockable — which makes sense, because offense is so strong in this game. But if you successfully punish a dragon punch, you can heavily damage the opponent as they will be unable to Cross Burst – this game’s “get out of trouble” mechanic which tags in a partner to save their friend. It might not look like it, but the Cross Burst is also punishable!
Even though some characters have their original mechanics simplified or streamlined, ASW did a good job making everyone stand out. You have your zoners like Nu-13 and Yukiko, and the latter can still famously heal and build up her fire gauge with assists. Grapplers like Waldstein and Tager seem a little more dominant, with screen-filling normals and permanent magnetization on the enemy. But everyone should find an archetype that suits them.
BBTAG’s expansive Tutorial and Mission Modes are a starting point to master the game. The tutorial lets you experience the mechanics of the game first-hand, and you can do sample combos for each character. They won’t incorporate partner work, so you’ll have to develop those on your own or find ideas on social media. The Mission Mode, similar to Guilty Gear’s, lets you try out pre-programmed situations where you can try more advanced aspects of the game, like baiting Cross Bursts or blocking overheads.
Training Mode is also considerably brushed up in comparison to Central Fiction. It has a lot of recording slots, the ability to set the enemy dummy to counter with reversal moves or supers for example, and more.
I wish I could spend more time playing Blake and have Yang to complete the RWBY squad; BBTAG definitely feels like the most rushed fighting game from ArcSys to date. Although it has been promoted thoroughly, it’s mired marketing seems to cover up a rushed product. We’ll only have 31 characters available until Evo, as we found out in May that not all of the announced 20 DLC characters will make it in time for launch. You can encounter future DLC fighters like Hakumen or Carmine in Episode Mode.
There are a few bugs, like a notable Kanji glitch that can freeze the opponent, and my game would also completely freeze when an opponent would rage quit a match they’re losing online.
But the online lobby is an upgrade over Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2’s 3D area, giving you a chance to embody adorable avatars that have lots of emotes and even new “tag” stickers, sort of like sprays. The main menu also works as a lobby, though I wish ArcSys went all out on this idea and made more interactive elements; some of them just sit as decoration.
I’ve had good experiences online overall, as long as the opponent isn’t terribly far away or on some unstable connection.
All in all, I appreciate BBTAG for being the most accessible BlazBlue game to date; newcomers can literally do combos and supers in seconds, but all the experts have so much to explore. Social media is already full of more and more creative setups that you won’t be able to block. And if you’re not as competitive, there’s actually a good amount of single-player content; the Episode Mode is more interactive than before, with branching paths and multiple endings, and it includes battles.
Overall, BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle is filled with frenetic fun and avenues for creativity, though it is dragged down a bit by what seems like a rushed schedule and a couple of bugs. It is a dream crossover that’s a complete love letter to anime fans, uniting franchises in an unusual, but effective way; RWBY characters and their soundtrack fit the game like a glove, confidently debuting in a game that shows competitive promise but also persuasively attracting newcomers.
Although BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle is officially out now, keep an eye for more content for the game. Though we know we’ll have 31 characters for Evolution 2018, and then nine after, it wouldn’t be surprising if ASW keeps adding more.
Score: 9.0/10
A PlayStation 4 copy of the game was provided by Arc System Works for the review. The reviewer did not have access to Character Pack 1.
Many players already have their hands on the full version of BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle. Japan already has the game, and players from other countries are welcome to purchase that version as well. Given that the US release of the title is drawing near, and more and more content about the game is appearing, Arc System Works provided a note with a few do’s and don’t’s on this matter.
It’s okay to:
Stream any kind of matches, online, offline, etc.
Create combo videos, guides, tutorials, and similar.
Per their words: “Show us those online shenanigans, dance parties, and the like.”
It’s NOT okay to:
Stream or record Episode Mode (Story Mode). At the very most, they are OK with content up to Chapter 2, but they would prefer this is entirely avoided.
Stream or uploaded ripped songs; posting soundtrack content from the game.
No-one wants to content ID or ban YouTube creators or Twitch streamers, so Arc System Works kindly asks to comply with these guidelines.
Read the full note on the Arc System Works website. BBTAG is already out in Asia, and will release in the American region on June 5th, followed by Europe later this month.
If anyone could truly wield Yukianesa, Jin Kisaragi’s sword notorious for taking control of him, it would be CAG|Fenritti. Fenritti told Shoryuken in an interview that it was the character’s aesthetic and lore from Story Mode that got him on track of playing the BlazBlue: Central Fiction character. But story tidbits aside, Fenritti (sometimes written as Fenrich) needs little introduction: no one would disagree that he is the world’s best Jin player, and definitely one of the best players in the world.
Fenritti has become famous for his almost mechanical play with perfectly-calculated combos and maximally-optimized punishes for any situation. If the opponent has 6,000 life points left and there is a combo that would finish them off, resources permitting, he will do it. He also has an amazing sense of spacing, and frequently calls out the opponent’s attempts at bursting. This was only his second appearance at an American tournament, the first being Evolution 2017, and at Combo Breaker 2018, the fans were treated to the very first sets between him and PG|SKD.
Big thanks to @GREATFERNMAN for helping out with translating the conversation.
Woocash: What was it like to face PG|SKD?
CAG|Fenritti: SKD’s blocking is really good, I noticed, but he’s also very confident at letting the opponent do what they want, and so he lets them get away with some things. Even though he’s really good at punishing what they’re weak at, he does let them get away with a lot of things. If SKD managed to cover that up, the next time will be a different result.
Woocash: How were you able to Dragon Punch reversal so well against SKD?
Fenritti: It was yomi, it was a read. I expected the warp and then Dragon Punched.
Woocash: What did you think of Combo Breaker?
Fenritti: I’ve only been to Evolution 2017 before; when it comes to overseas tournaments, and I thought this one was very exciting, on the same level as Evo.
Woocash: What makes it exciting?
Fenritti: I find these really exciting because in Japan, when players are cheering or when competitors do something cool, they don’t show it as much. In America, the audience is really loud and cheers for the players they support, so I find that really exciting.
Woocash: Is BlazBlue: Central Fiction remaining a central focus for you, or is there anything else you have your eyes on?
Fenritti: Mainly, I’m playing DBFZ, but I’m also playing BBCF and BBTAG. Even after the latter comes out, I plan on continuing BBCF.
Woocash: What is the most common mistake that BlazBlue players make?
Fenritti: A lot of players in America, here at Combo Breaker, they are really strong player-wise, but with regards to BlazBlue, they don’t really understand the system as well as Japanese players, I feel. BlazBlue is a game where a difference in knowledge really shows. I think they are really strong players in terms of skills, but their knowledge is a bit lacking.
Woocash: What has it been like joining an esports team? What changed for you?
Fenritti: As expected, the main difference is winning allows me to get more income. Before, even if I won, I wouldn’t get anything other than the prize pot. But now, when I win, because I can get money from games, I can immerse myself fully and play more games, take it more seriously.
Woocash: Why do you play Jin and how did you become so good at him?
Fenritti: I love Jin. At first, it was the aesthetic, I saw Jin and thought he looked really cool. I also played the arcade Story mode, and I thought he was really cool too. Then I played the console Story mode, and was reaffirmed that Jin is really cool, so I kept playing him.
Mainly, I got strong through a lot of Training Mode. My attitude is that I won’t let the opponent make any mistakes, I’ll kill their character for it. My older brother, Iwashi, also plays BlazBlue, and he has really good neutral, so I attribute a lot to learning from him as well.
Woocash: What’s coming next?
Fenritti: Right after this, I’m going to Las Vegas for a Dragon Ball tournament, and I also plan on coming to Evolution 2018.
BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle is already out in Japan, so certain people have their hands on characters from Character Pack 1 that weren’t in the beta: Kanji, Orie, Platinum, and Blake. Since these characters were not in the beta, it may not be so surprising that people discovered a game-winning bug with Persona 4‘s Bloodcurling Beefcake, Kanji.
UltraTien posted a clip of the bug, which they can intentionally trigger. The unfortunate victim of the online match ends up eternally frozen in a lightning shock, unable to even Cross Burst out of this. All that remains is to wait until the timer runs out. This exploit works with Kanji and either Blake or Jin, a tipper told SRK in a message. It seems to happen from Kanji’s command grab, and then an assist from either of the two characters — they’ve tested other fighters, but it only worked with Blake or Jin.
The BBTAG beta also saw a partner bug which let a player control both characters at once. Let’s hope Arc System Works is gathering information, and that they will rectify Kanji’s “secret weapon” as soon as possible.
The Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 finals at Combo Breaker stood out for a variety of reasons. More international players than ever before gathered at the St. Charles location, adding a certain gravitas to the event. The final match took place between an amazing Korean I-no player, Daru, and a famous Japanese Jam player, Teresa.
Teresa practices at Mikado, the premier competitive spot for Japanese Guilty Gear players. Daru also has spent a lot of time there, and he usually beats Teresa. Things looked different initially at Combo Breaker, as Teresa sent Daru to losers. But the REV 2 Combo Breaker grand finals were full of surprises.
Shoryuken approached Teresa shortly after the set for a first-time interview. The player walked us through the emotional sets, admitted weaknesses, and explained his approach to improving. On the lighter side, Teresa spoke about his frequent tweeting in English, and whether he’s coming to Evolution.
Woocash: Walk us through your matches in the finals.
Teresa: I fought Daru first and won, then Hamad in Winners Finals, then Daru came back up through losers. You can definitely tell that Hamad didn’t have as much Jam experience as I did for his character, Ky Kiske, especially since I fight a lot of strong Kys at Mikado. I think Hamad is very, very strong as a player, but you can only go so far, being a good player and knowing a match up to some level, especially knowing it to a degree that I do.
Woocash: What was the match with Daru like? What was going through your head?
Teresa: For the first match, in Winners top 8, normally, I’m not very good against Daru, but I changed up my movement for the tournament, and that led me to the win. In the grand finals, I kind of got tilted when I dropped one of the combos, which was a parry into P K, and I didn’t delay it enough, so the double Puff Ball dropped… I lost the round. I couldn’t shake that off for the next matches.
Woocash: What was going through your head when the stick malfunctioned?
Teresa: I struggle with confidence a lot, and I’m starting to think, “maybe this will work” after I’ve taken the first match. Then suddenly the button stopped working. I thought, man, maybe I’m just not meant to win. I wanted to die.
Woocash: How are you going to work in overcoming your weaknesses?
Teresa: I’m definitely a very emotional type of player, as you saw. That’s something I need to work on. When I’m going, I feel very confident, but when something goes wrong, I mentioned that combo before, that one combo, that puts me on tilt pretty badly, I really need to work on that.
Woocash: Onto a lighter topic, you’ve been tweeting a lot, in English as well. You’ve been interacting with the international audience, what’s that been like?
I will talk to you in theory and testimony. If your opinion is wrong, I will reply. When I am wrong, I will spread your theory as new facts. Regardless of the strength of the game, I want to talk in theory. This is what I could not do in Japan.
— TERESA ≒ Atractylodes (@jamtsukaware) May 28, 2018
Teresa: I’d like to say that even if you’re a top player, it doesn’t necessarily mean your opinions are right. Some people are colored by their perspective too much, or of their own character. I want to talk a lot about the game and about theory, I want to help other people if I can. In Japan, it’s not that people don’t listen, but they’re not as inclined to talk in a public setting. I feel Americans are more receptive. I want to spread knowledge as much as I can.
Woocash: What are your thoughts on playing at an arcade setting versus an American-style major?
Teresa: The way that we approach gaming is very different. The arcade is basically the place you go to after work. And you go to play and relax. Even when you have tournaments or weeklies at the arcade, it’s more or less a local thing, and here, it’s huge, there are so many people. It’s very cool to have so many people in one place.
My goal is definitely to come to an American major and win it. I’m still working on it, and I want to get there some day.
Woocash: Are you planning to come to Evo? Any other major plans looking toward the future?
Teresa: Of course, I am going to Evo 2018. There are rumors going around that there might be a new Guilty Gear announced. If so, I’m going to put travel plans on hold for a bit and practice and get better in Japan first. If not, I want to travel a bit more, like to South East Asia Major and also the Brazilian tournament, Heaven or Hell. I’ve been to one, and I want to go to it again.
#DHATX18 (@CEOJebailey) 
