Author: Zavian "mushin_Z" Sildra

Dragon Ball FighterZ‘s debut at Evo is sure to be a spectacular one!

In the last glimpse into the registration leaderboard for Evo 2018 before registration closes this month, Joey “Mr. Wizard” Cuellar has posted another update on how the main stage games’ sign-ups stack up against each other. And for the first time since the first month, we have a shift in positions:

1. Dragon Ball FighterZ
2. Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition
3. Tekken 7
4. Super Smash Bros. Melee
5. BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle
6. Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U
7. Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2
8. Injustice 2

Evo 2018 Final Leaderboard Update July
#1 DragonBall FighterZ
#2 Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition
#3 Tekken 7
#4 Super Smash Bros. Melee
#5 BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle
#6 Super Smash Bros for WiiU
#7 Guilty Gear Xrd: Rev 2
#8 Injustice 2#Evo2018

— Joey Cuellar (@MrWiz) July 2, 2018

The arrival of BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle was enough for BBTAG to gain more registrants than Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Meanwhile, Dragon Ball FighterZ has taken and held the top spot over Street Fighter V for the entire registration period so far.

Evo 2018 hits the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on August 3-5. Registration is open until July 20.

Source: Joey Cuellar (Twitter)

But what about Sosuke…?

We already got our first confirmation that Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach series would be playable in Jump Force via Shonen Jump; and while we also knew that Rukia Kuchiki and Sosuke Aizen would be included in the game in some capacity, Bandai Namco has now officially announced that Rukia will also be a playable character in the upcoming arena fighter.

From the press release:

Coming out of E3 2018, gamers and anime/manga fans got a glimpse of the wild crossover battles that will surely ensue in JUMP FORCE. Today, we’re adding another level of action to JUMP FORCE’s character and franchise line-up with the announcement of Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki, and Sosuke Aizen from Shonen Jump’s beloved BLEACH series. Both Ichigo and Rukia will be playable as the best-known Soul Reapers from the BLEACH series. However, the nefarious Sosuke Aizen will also be entering the JUMP FORCE world, so sparks will certainly fly when these three meet in battle.

We’re also revealing a new stage in which these explosive anime battles will take place. A new Hong Kong stage has been added to the roster of real-world locations in which these powerful characters may meet to do battle in JUMP FORCE. The Hong Kong stage blends characteristics from one of the world’s most modern and dynamic cities with elements from the One Piece world, creating a truly unique setting for battle.

So, it seems that Aizen will not be a playable character, but time will tell for sure. Meanwhile, have a look at these new images of the fighters and the new stage.

Click to view slideshow.

Jump Force will be coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC sometime in 2019.

Sources: Bandai Namco [press release]; Bandai Namco US (Twitter)

You can show your support for your favorite player with these new tees.

With the community voting completed, four players have been chosen to be sponsored by the r/StreetFighter subreddit to head to Evo 2018 and compete in Street Fighter V. They are:

1. iDrop – 355 votes
2. ElChakotay – 275 votes
3. Neon – 182 votes
4. Teiga – 133 votes

Now, r/StreetFighter is looking at raising the funds to hopefully send all four of these competitors to the event. If you want to help out and show your own support for your favorite player (and their Street Fighter V main), t-shirts are now available to purchase online.

Click to view slideshow.

Source: r/StreetFighter

More gameplay options might be coming for ARIKA’s new fighter.

Fighting EX Layer is finally here, now available for download from the PlayStation Store. However, those that want to mash buttons against CPU-controlled opponents might find the included gameplay modes a little lacking: there are no Arcade or Survival modes included in the game’s current build.

But — that may be changing in the future:

Q: Do the devs plan to add arcade mode in the future?
What about adding an option to return to training stage after a ranked match?

A: I'd like to answer those questions once our roadmap is settled. Ideally, I'd like to announce something around EVO18. Please hold tight! -Mihara https://t.co/abi0Vmcqkk

— GSK (@gosokkyu) June 29, 2018

It definitely looks like we can expect some kind of expansion for the title to be announced in the future, according to ARIKA’s Mihara-san. In the meantime, you can play the Kumite mode, which is tucked into the Training mode options; head to the Opponent tab in the training options and set CPU Format to “Kumite” to fight rotating CPU enemies in the training room.

Sources: Fighting EX Layer; @gosokkyu