Before Problem X won the Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition tournament at Evo 2018, he climbed the mountain of EGX 2017 with a 3-2 victory over Japanese Rashid pro Gachikun in grand finals. This was far from the only highlight match at this excellent tournament, so if you’re interested in seeing where the exceptional talent of the EU gets refined, EGX European Regional Final 2018 is where you’ll want to be (or, tune in, if you can’t make it to the UK)!
Held at the National Exhibition Center in Birmingham U.K., this event has an interesting twist — it’s actually two tournaments spread over one weekend. First, there’s the EU Regional Open Tournament. Any player from any region can compete for a slice of the $15,000 prize pool, Global Ranking Points and EU Regional Ranking Points (limited to EU players only).
Afterwards, there’s the The EU Regional Finals Tournament. The Top 8 players on the EU Leaderboard (determined after the EU Regional Open Tournament has concluded) will compete for a separate $15,000 prize pool, and the winner will automatically qualify for the Capcom Cup 2018.
You can register for the 3-day event, and find out more information, here at smash.gg.
Fighting game analyst dantarion recently examined the player engagement between Street Fighter V, Tekken 7, and Dragon Ball Fighterz through Steam
Dragon Ball FighterZ released on January 26, 2018. Upon launch, the game saw a whopping 44,000 players via Steam — but these numbers didn’t last. Twitter user and fighting game analyst dantarion released a comparison of player engagement between DBFZ, Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, and Tekken 7 across their current lifespans.
Retention Thread!. DBFZ peaked at 44k players on Steam on launch day, but only spiked at around 5K after EVO. Its very easy to say, "casuals", and end the conversation about this, but I see it as 40K players that got hyped enough to try it out, but didn't end up sticking it out, pic.twitter.com/R0PNjXASsZ
Compared to DBFZ’s 44k players, SFV saw 14,782 fighters on its launch day on February 16, 2016, while Tekken 7 boasted a 18,966 players on June 3rd, 2017. However, player retention across each game has shown a sharp decline since then: SFV retains an average of 1,500-1,600 players, while Tekken 7 keeps anywhere from upwards of 3,000 to 2,600 PC users. DBFZ is on a decline since its recent release date, sinking from about 4,000 players to 2,352 at the last count in May.
Retention has declined across the board for each game, but appears to level out around certain levels. SFV strays between the 1,500 and 2,000 player mark, while Tekken 7 remains strongly at around 3,000 players. DBFZ appears to fluctuate within the 2,000 player range. Those interested can take a look at the full graph here.
Street Fighter V‘s reddit community has spoken — and the results aren’t exactly surprising.
The latest Community Feedback poll on the r/StreetFighter subreddit has completed. When asked what aspects of Street Fighter V players want to see improved, the usual suspects are back in full force, with a bit of new flavor thanks to the discovery of variable input latency and the weirdness of the rollback netcode. When it comes to the overall experience, the netplay and the input latency are still the primary fixes the r/SF community are calling for.
User Experience:
Issue
Votes
Netcode
734
One Sided Rollback
535
Variable Input Delay
404
Fight Money Grind
338
Input Delay
299
Training Mode – Online Training Mode
144
Training Mode – Allow DLC
127
Ranked Matchmaking – Character Select
117
Hitbox Viewer
106
P2P In Game Communication
100
Battle Lounge – Accurate Ping
73
Character Preview Prior to Purchase
73
Frame Ratings/Testing
63
Ranked Matchmaking – Unlimited Rematch
52
Ranked Matchmaking – Wait Indicator
52
Battle Lounge – Region Filter
33
Friends List Management
29
Battle Lounge – Steam Integration
28
Battle Lounge – Rank Filter
17
Training Mode – Debug
17
When it comes to the gameplay itself, the top requests are still more defensive options for this rushdown-heavy guessing game, and input lag makes a return appearance:
Gameplay Experience:
Issue
Votes
More Defensive Options
607
Variable Input Delay
510
Input Delay
467
Air to Air Recovery Advantage
330
Balance Risk/Reward of Jumping/AA
324
Improve Crush Counter System
260
Hurt Boxes to Remain Extended
230
Revert DP Nerf
183
Audio Cue for Non-CC Counter Hit
152
Priority System Changes
136
Bonus Damage for Perfect Links
115
When is comes to other requests, Capcom’s long-criticized lack of communication with the fanbase is still a clear concern, while a lot of users are less-than-thrilled with some of the facial models on some characters.
Miscellaneous:
Issue
Votes
Communication with Community
1008
Graphical Improvement on Certain Models
796
Lab Zero Drivers
605
Router Support
556
Linux Version
145
Of course, as a community poll we can’t expect the developer to act on any of these requests, but it’s a good indicator of what players are still wanting in SFV’s third Season; hopefully Capcom is paying attention in some capacity. You can see the poll results and the following reddit discussion on the r/SF Community Feedback thread. You can also check on the results of prior polls in the links included there.
FGC content creator BornFree sat down with Evo organizer Tom Cannon, where the two discussed the upcoming Evo Japan, tournament saturation, and shared their thoughts on inclusivity in the community.
Fighting game fans might know Tom Cannon by his rich history in the community — from creating the largest fighting game tournament in the world, to heading their own game development studio, the Cannon brothers are known throughout the scene as major influencers, and have had a considerable hand in building it up to its current state. Notable FGC content creator BornFree sat down with Tom to discuss his work with Evo, his thoughts on tournament saturation, and to pick his brain on how to make the community more accessible to those who wish to be part of the historically vibrant scene.
Here, Tom recollects in the early Street Fighter IV era, Evo had run an all-women’s tournament, where girls who competed in the regular tournament were entered into a separate competition of their own. “It was an experiment to see if we could encourage more women to play,” Tom stated. Legendary Soul Calibur player Kayane ended up taking the tournament, highlighting her achievements and helping cement women’s strength in the scene.
While the tournament saw some success, many criticized the movement, holding that no group should get special treatment for want of inclusiveness. Tom recognized that things have changed since that time, and that Evo exists now as more than just a tournament series: it comes complete with after-parties and exhibition matches, and movements like Combo Queens are helping create a network for women who are always welcome at their event. “It’s hard to be anonymous,” Tom said in regards to women in the scene. “We’re not aiming to change the FGC, just build more pathways to get into it and stay there.”
Photo Credit: Carlton Beener
Tom likewise spoke on the upcoming Evo Japan, which saw a monetary loss this year due to what he called “jump-starting the event.” While many Americans felt that Evo Japan was a throwback to Evo’s earlier times, the Japanese company the Cannons partnered with chose to skip the growing pains and dive straight into the big time. “I think that represents a strong commitment to build something,” he commented. “I would be surprised if an event like that was profitable at year one.”
You can watch the full interview here, and hear Tom’s thoughts on Beginner’s and Intermediate tournament leagues, tournament over-saturation, bringing Evo to other areas, and more.
While plenty of fighting game fans have dissected MvC:I’s visual aspects, sound and music designer Mike Thal takes a deeper look into the game’s use of audio.
Mike Thal’s YouTube channel is chock full of videos breaking down the sound design of various video game titles. While he praised the audio of 2013’s Killer Instinct, Mike held less optimistic views towards the newest installment in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. He first cited the advent of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a contributing factor: noting the importance of the Infinity Stones in the game’s plot, as well as the absence of the X-Men and Fantastic Four, Marvel’s closer involvement in the game created major changes to the series — not all of which were well-received.
Mike begins his analysis by examining character themes, using Captain America’s theme as an example. While its Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 iteration was fast-paced, energetic, and representative of Cap’s American verve, his MvC:I theme marked a drastic change. If readers have watched any of the MCU films, they will note the similarity between Cap’s MvC:I theme and the MCU’s general music scoring. “The orchestral style is a pretty run-of-the-mill modern film score, which reflects the game’s focus on the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” Mike explains. “The tempo was also a little slower on this track, which doesn’t help sell the ‘fighting game’ aspect, in my opinion. While there’s a majestic-sounding melody to fit Captain America, I don’t feel it captures the excitement or action like his old theme.” Mike also notes that Marvel’s characters had no returning theme songs: instead, each superhero had a completely new theme written for them in MvC:I, derailing any sense of continuity from the previous games in terms of music. “Most of them are composed in a similarly straightforward, orchestral style,” Mike stated. “As a result, MvC:I’s soundtrack is pretty generic and, honestly, a little bland compared to other modern fighters.”
Another element of MvC:I’s sound design that struck Mike as odd occurrs in the timing of when music plays. In previous MvC titles, the theme of Player 2’s team would sound at the beginning of a match, reiterating the status of P2 as the “challenger.” Once a fighter was knocked out, the theme would end, and the challenger’s upcoming character theme would begin upon the next fight. While MvC:I’s song selection begins the same way, the character theme doesn’t end upon a knockout — instead, the song only changes once another character activates an Infinity Storm. “I think it would make more sense for each Infinity Stone to have its own theme,” Mike suggested. “Doing this would reiterate the power of these artifacts, their importance in the MCU, and their impact on the gameplay…. These power-ups are supposed to be giant, game-changing abilities, but the music doesn’t really reflect that. It doesn’t create an effective separation from between when an infinity Stone becomes active and when it isn’t, nor does it emphasize the might of the Infinity Stones.”
While he felt MvC:I’s music left much to be desired, Mike hailed MvC:I’s combat sounds as “pretty good,” holding that the announcer and voice actors delivered a solid performance for the tag-team fighter. One of his better-favored aspects came with the interaction of characters upon one of their teammates having low health, with their partner calling out words of support or advice. “This one choice serves two very effective purposes,” Mike states. “From an aesthetic standpoint, it helps push the idea that these characters are working together… from a gameplay standpoint, this is a helpful audio queue for the player. These voice clips serve as a notification and a reminder to the player that their character’s health is getting low.”
However, the characters’ voices didn’t sell the experience completely: Mike criticizes the constant calling out of characters’ Infinity Stones upon activating their Infinity Surge, citing the ensuing “Reality Stone!” as repetitive and like “nails on a chalkboard.” Mike cites this event as “audio fatigue,” an instance where hearing the same sound effect or voice clip repeatedly can frustrate or even put players on tilt. To rectify this, Mike suggested giving each Infinity Surge its own sound effect, while removing characters’ voice clips. “Through sheer sound design, players would discover what makes each Infinity Stone unique,” he states. He also noted that the game currently requires 42 audio files for the Infinity Surges — with his solution, that number would be reduced to 18-30 audio files.
Mike’s analysis centers on a desire to make the Infinity Stones their own character through sound design. By giving each Infinity Stone their own theme song, and each Infinity Surge its own set of sound effects, Mike’s plan would sufficiently serve to further emphasize the Stones’ importance in both the game’s plot and gameplay. Fans can watch the video in its entirety here, and get a deeper look into Mike’s examination of the latest installment in the Marvel vs. Capcom series.
The heart of the Yoshimitsu’s design and movelist in Tekken 7 is ‘unconventional’. He has health regeneration, a wide pool of unblockables, tricky animations, the ability to punish moves no one else in the game can punish, and… oh, yeah, and he has a sword. It’s probably worth mentioning that Yoshimitsu has a flippin’ sword in a cast of martial artists, huh?
The above only scratches the surface of the rule-breaking, mind-bending tools Yoshimitsu has available to him in the game. For a thorough, nuanced breakdown of his toolkit, check out That Blasted Salami‘s 2-hour master class above. The road to being the ultimate Space Ninja is perhaps the hardest one a player can take in Tekken, but its also one of the most expressive and rewarding paths available for those willing to try.
Following the conclusion of the BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle tournament at Evo 2018, Producer Toshimichi Mori stepped on stage to officially announce that the remaining nine DLC characters: BlazBlue’s Izayoi, Nine The Phantom, and Mai Natsume; Persona 4 Arena’s Mitsuru Kirijo, Akihiko Sanada, and Labrys; and Under Night In-Birth’s Yuzuriha Sougetsu, Merkava, and Mika Returna would all be arriving to the game this week. And with a new wave of characters comes more special interactions, and they’ve been compiled here for your viewing pleasure.
There’s also a compilation of all nine of their Astral Heats, each retained from their respective games.
Cross Character Pack 4 (which contains Izayoi, Mitsuru Kirijo, and Merkava), Cross Character Pack 5 (which holds Mai Natsume, Akihiko Sanada, and Yzuriha), and Cross Character Pack 6 (which adds Nine The Phantom, Labrys, and Mika Returna) can all be purchased individually for $4.99 each, and are also included in the All-In-One Pack, which also gets you the previously-released Platinum The Trinity, Orie, Kanji Tatsumi, Aegis, Carmine, Jubei, Naoto Shirogane, Vatista, and Hakumen, for $19.99. Team RWBY’s Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long are also permanently available for free.
For those lab monsters out there, alb3530 has all the hitbox and hurtbox data for SFV’s two newest characters.
With G and Sagat’s recent release, players have been scrambling to gather all the tech they can on these two fighters. From optimal combos to punishes and more, tons of tech has been uploaded to the internet in the hopes of making the most out of SFV’s newest characters. alb3530 is no different: he’s uploaded two full-length videos breaking down their hitboxes and hurtboxes, allowing prospective players a chance to get a better grasp on the characters’ strengths and weaknesses.
For those unsure of how to read this data, alb3530 has likewise created a guide explaining the hurtbox/hitbox meta. Be sure to check out his other hitbox breakdowns on his YouTube channel for optimal character usage.
A new tournament circuit has been created in honor of Street Fighter’s most celebrated title.
Prepare for battle! There’s more than Cooperation Cup for fans of Street Fighter III: Third Strike to test their mettle. A brand-new tournament circuit was created for the classic fighting game title, and it starts on August 25th — dubbed the Jazzy Circuit, this tour takes 3S on a trip across the United States in celebration of the game’s 20th anniversary.
Players can qualify for the tour in one of three ways:
Winning one of six Jazzy qualifying events in Season One
Being one of six players to earn the greatest amount of points in the tour
Taking one through fourth place in the circuit’s last chance qualifier
Events within the circuit lie on three different tiers, and will be fought on both arcade cabinets and consoles alike. The console iteration of the game will be played through Street Fighter’s 30 Anniversary Collection, while the CPS3 cabinet will be used for the classic fighters. MSF-Tier events will reward players with the greatest amount of points, while S-Tier and A-Tier events will reward fewer.
The circuit’s first event takes place on August 25th in Lacross, WI, at the Paradigm Grand Prix. Be sure to follow the circuit’s Twitter page to keep up to date with the action!
The upcoming stick with an all-aluminum chassis offers unlimited customization at your fingertips.
Peripheral manufacturer Victrix Pro showcased their newest competitive offering, the Pro FS, at Evo 2018 — and it was one of the most impressive sticks on the show floor. All it takes is one glance to notice how much the Victrix Pro FS stands out.
The standard stick comes in a cool silver, and is made almost entirely of aluminum with Sanwa Denshi components. According to the manufacturer’s website, the “Victrix Pro FS is engineered with the fastest PCB response time” out of any stick in the market. This is sure to be a feature that piques many players’ interest.
There are also Street Fighter special-edition sticks that pop with bright and bold colors, showcasing beautiful sketches of either M. Bison, Akuma, Chun-Li, or Ken alongside the signatures of the artist and the stick’s number in the limited-edition run.
On top of their stellar looks, the Victrix Pro FS sticks offer a variety of features that focus on functionality and customization. The inside of the stick is easily accessible thanks to a latch on the back, allowing for modification and quick maintenance of all of the major inputs. The stick even includes an Allen wrench to tighten or loosen the ball top of the joystick, stored in the rear compartment. If you want to change the LED color illuminating the Victrix FS, all you need to do is hold the lighting button and move the joystick left or right. The lighting mode can also be changed just by pressing the lighting button itself. This will change the stick’s illumination from fixed to pulsate, to prismatic, to reactive, to white, to dark, and back again.
This kind of manual customization even transitions into the volume control for the headset plugged into the Victrix FS’ headphone jack. Double-tapping the audio button will mute the player’s microphone as well. There are also three remappable buttons, set to L3, R3, and the touchpad button by default, that can be altered to match any other button on the controller.
There is also a “Tournament/Lockout” mode that will disable all of the backlit buttons aside from the Victrix “X” button that enables the mode. This makes the controller tournament ready and flashes red every five seconds to verify the mode is active.
Another special feature for the Victrix Pro FS is its detachable joystick. It’s easy to remove the joystick, all you need to do is pull the metal below the ball upward and lift the joystick out of its socket. There is even a special socket inside of the controller casing that houses the stick for safe storage. Combined with the convenient handles and the cable wrap prongs at the top of the stick, traveling with the Victrix Pro FS is sure to be a breeze.
To some, the concept of a removable stick might already be well-known: Victrix Pro lead, Ozhan Maker, mentioned earlier this month that the popular modification known as “The Link” by Phreak Mods was an inspiration for their own removable stick system, and apologized for not being more vocal from the outset about its relevance to the Victrix Pro FS’s development. The Victrix Pro FS’ system has been dubbed “The Link 2” in honor of the original modification.
[You can get a closer look at the original The Link by Phreakmods in our review. – Editor]
All in all, the Victrix Pro FS is an incredibly impressive fight stick, and will definitely stand out with its bold design and fully customizable LEDs. Extensive playtesting will determine how this stick holds up against the rest of the industry, but from where I’m standing, things are looking pretty bright.
The Victrix Pro FS will be available sometime in August 2018 for PlayStation 4/PC and Xbox One. We will keep you updated with pricing and release details as they become available.
