BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle tier list: Japanese player Kubo charts the strongest and weakest characters

As BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle has been in consumer hands for quite a bit now, players are bound to eventually settle on deciding who is stronger and who is weaker in the  2 vs. 2 title. Though a tier list that includes new DLC characters that came out a week ago does seem a little quick, a Japanese player has compiled their opinion on the state of the game using the popular MMCafe Tierchart Maker.

Ho-chan, who sometimes tweets in English, pointed out Kubo’s chart, dubbing him the “best BBTAG player in Japan.” Obviously, tier lists are opinions, from what I’ve been seeing about the game, it seems mostly spot on.

The axes work as following: from bottom to top are weakest to strongest characters, and left are characters that “have weaknesses” while more towards the right are those who “do everything.”

I don’t think anyone disagrees that Yukiko is very weak (sorry, girlfriend.) Chie, Weiss, and Jubei have problems establishing dominance in neutral and can get easily outzoned or pushed back; Platinum lacks a full-screen super. Jin, Orie, Es, and Ruby (who is a little outside the chart, on the right edge) have definitely been dominating the meta. I can’t speak for Hyde, but it sounds like he has all the tools (please feel free to expand on this in the comments).

What are your thoughts on this list? Who would you pose differently? Personally, I’m a bit surprised at the placing of Blake and Carmine. The latter especially has been looking pretty strong.

Sources: Ho-chan; @kubo0055

Here are the most dominant characters for each season of Street Fighter V, as based on CPT points

As is the case for every fighting game, Street Fighter V has had characters who have been described as “dominant” for each major revision, or “season” in this case. However, these oftentimes come down more to people’s own conjecture than any actual sort of detailed statistical analysis.

Luckily for us, SFV does have a way to track performance at high level play: the results of the Capcom Pro Tour. Our good buddy Bavo Bruylandt — who runs Shoryuken’s stat-keeping site — recently compiled this data to find out the ten most dominant characters for each season of Street Fighter V.

Street Fighter V most dominant characters per CPT season.
  • Season 1
    • Chun-Li
    • Nash
    • Ryu
    • Cammy
    • Ken
    • Necalli
    • R. Mika
    • Karin
    • Vega
    • Laura
  • Season 2
    • Cammy
    • Karin
    • Necalli
    • Ibuki
    • Laura
    • Guile
    • Rashid
    • Akuma
    • R. Mika
    • Urien
  • Season 3
    • Cammy
    • Akuma
    • Menat
    • Guile
    • Rashid
    • Abigail
    • R. Mika
    • Ibuki
    • M. Bison
    • Juri

In addition to this, Bavo has also shared screenshots of the data tables he used. This includes breakdowns for mid-season changes, as both Season 2 and Season 3 had significant mid-season balance patches.

Bavo_SFV_dominance_table_01
Bavo_SFV_dominance_table_02

Now, as with any list of strong characters based purely on tournament results, this doesn’t really factor the strength of the competitors playing them. Additionally, we’re still only halfway through Season 3. However, this data is still important; when combined with all of those factors, it gives us a more complete picture of how the game is playing out, and where it may be headed.

Source: SRK Stats (Twitter)

Nicalis to bring Blade Strangers to Wednesday Night Fights on June 27th & July 25th

Excited for Nicalis’s upcoming 2D cross-over fighter Blade Strangers? If you’re in Los Angeles area, then you’re going to want to swing by Orange County eSports arena and get some game time in! Boasting a large prize pool for top 3 and several demo stations to try out the game, Level Up’s Wednesday Night Fights is the best chance you have right now before it officially drops later this year.

If you’re not in the area but want to catch the latest build of the game, tune into the Level Up Live stream! All the details for the event — including the stream and start time — are below:

Prizes:
1st $500 + Nintendo Switch + Nicalis games / Nicalis swag
2nd $250 + Nicalis games / Nicalis swag
3rd $100 + Nicalis games / Nicalis swag

Dates:
June 27
July 25

Finals Stream:
https://twitch.tv/leveluplive

Schedule:
7:00 PM Casuals
9:00 PM Tournament

Location:
eSports Arena – Orange County
120 West 5th Street
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Registration:
https://smash.gg/wnf (The week of each event only)

Source: Level Up Series

New bug fixes and other changes added along with Cody today in Street Fighter V’s version 3.051 update

Some old bugs squashed, along with the new content.

Street Fighter V servers are back up and today’s new content is available for players to try; this includes Cody, the new Fighting Chance “lootbox” feature, a revamped Survival Mode, the Ring of Power stage, and a selection of new costumes. Capcom also has shown again they love to sneak in bug fixes (and balance changes) along with these updates, and today is no exception. read the full patch notes from CFN below.


The following new content/DLC is now available.

● The mini-game “Fighting Chance” has been added to the Shop.
— Get your fortune read to receive various lucky items.
Note: Requires FM

● Survival Mode Redesign
— “Random” can be selected from “Enemy Order,” in which the DLC characters will also appear.
— Battle Items obtained from Fighting Chance can be used.
— The V-Gauge will transfer over between stages.
— Added the ability to quit Survival Mode while saving your current progress.
— Can continue by using FM (start with all gauges maxed out).
— Obtain Battle Items upon clearing Survival Mode.

● Character
— Cody

● Additional Content
— Additional Costume (“Story”): Cody
— Additional Costume (“Battle Outfit 1”): Cody
— Additional Costume (“Nostalgia”): Cody
— Additional Costume (“Dante”): Ken
— Additional Costume (“Nero”): Ed
— Additional Costume (“Cannon Spike”): Cammy (can also be obtained in Fighting Chance)
— Additional Stage: Ring of Power
Note: Those who purchased the Capcom Pro Tour: 2018 Premier Pass will be able to select 
this content after the update has completed.

Additional notes

[Menat]
When canceling into her CA The Nefertem from Soul Sphere from a normal move cancel, as the command for The Nefertem must be completed immediately after Soul Sphere hits, the cancel timing was quite difficult.
⇒Changed so that the command can be input in advance while she is in possession of the crystal ball, making it easier to perform the CA under the corresponding conditions.

After performing Soul Sphere – Ankh, when performing her V-Skill Soul Reflect from a normal move cancel to match the timing of the returning crystal ball, the V-Skill would not come out.
⇒Changed so that the command can be input in advance while she is in possession of the crystal ball, making it easier to perform her V-Skill under the corresponding conditions.

[Falke]
When canceling into Windstoss immediately after the startup of Luftjagd, there was a phenomenon where Falke would remain in the air. 
⇒Fixed so that the startup of Luftjagd cannot be canceled into Windstoss. 

[R. Mika]
For Steel Chair and Fightin’ Dirty, Nadeshiko’s collision boxes were reduced, so there was a phenomenon where an opponent who took blowback damage would pass through her in the upwards direction.
⇒Fixed to expand Nadeshiko’s collision boxes during Steel Chair and Fightin’ Dirty.

[Akuma]
L Gohadoken had a different hurtbox timing than that of the other strengths. 
⇒Fixed to unify the hurtbox of L Gohadoken with that of the M and H versions.

[Ryu]
When in V-Trigger I Denjin Renki, if Ryu did his Shoryuken as the V-Timer ran out, he was not able to cancel into his CA Shinku Hadoken.
⇒Fixed so that Ryu can cancel from Shoryuken into CA Shinku Hadoken even if the V-Timer runs out during the process.

[Kolin]
Could not cancel the last hit of Frost Spike into her V-Trigger I Diamond Dust. 
⇒Fixed so that Kolin can cancel the last hit of Frost Spike into her V-Trigger I Diamond Dust.

[Laura]
When Thunder Clap hits at the same time as M or EX Bolt Charge and stuns the opponent, if she performs Split River or Rodeo Break, a phenomenon occurred where the animation will play but the opponent will not take damage.
⇒Fixed so that if the opponent goes into stun when M or EX Bolt Charge hits, Laura will not be able to perform Split River or Rodeo Break.


Source: CFN

Many of your favorite fighting games are discounted on Steam’s Summer Sale

Steam’s Summer Sale is currently ongoing. SNK already shot first promoting their own games that are part of the sale — however other publishers have their fighters on it as well!

The list below contains just about every non-SNK fighting game on sale as part of the Steam Summer Sale. This includes big names such as Dragon Ball FighterZ and Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition to indie darlings such as Skullgirls and Nidhogg.

Game Discounted Price Original Price Discount %
Arcana Heart 3 LOVE MAX!!!!! $5.99 $29.99 80%
Battle Fantasia -Revised Edition- $2.99 $14.99 80%
Blade Arcus from Shining: Battle Arena $11.99 $29.99 60%
BlazBlue Centralfiction $13.59 $39.99 66%
BlazeBlue Collection $20.30 $99.96 80%
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger $1.49 $9.99 85%
BlazBlue: Chronophantasma Extend $4.49 $29.99 85%
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend $2.99 $19.99 85%
Chaos Code -New Sign of Catastrophe- $9.99 $19.99 50%
Complete Nidhogg Bundle $14.00 $32.97 58%
Dragon Ball FighterZ $35.99 $59.99 40%
Dragon Ball FighterZ – FighterZ Edition $70.28 $94.98 26%
Dragon Ball FighterZ – Ultimate Edition $85.77 $109.97 22%
Fantasy Strike $9.99 $19.99 50%
Fight of Gods $3.99 $7.99 50%
For Honor $7.49 $14.99 50%
Guilty Gear Isuka $1.99 $9.99 80%
Guilty Gear X2 #Reload $1.99 $9.99 80%
Guilty Gear Xrd -Revelator- $9.89 $29.99 67%
Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign- $5.99 $29.99 80%
Guilty Gear Xrd REV2 Upgrade $9.49 $18.99 50%
Guilty Gear XX /\ccent Core +R $2.99 $14.99 80%
Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition $4.99 $19.99 75%
Injustice 2 $29.99 $49.99 40%
Killer Instinct $9.99 $39.99 75%
Koihime Enbu $4.99 $19.99 75%
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite $19.99 $39.99 50%
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite Character Pass $14.99 $29.99 50%
Mortal Kombat X $6.79 $19.99 66%
Mortal Kombat XL $10.19 $29.99 66%
Mortal Kombat X Kombat Pack 2 $9.99 $19.99 50%
Nidhogg $4.99 $9.99 50%
Nidhogg 2 $7.49 $14.99 50%
Skullgirls $2.99 $9.99 70%
Skullgirls 2nd Encore Upgrade $4.49 $14.99 70%
Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition $23.99 $39.99 40%
Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition Deluxe $53.98 $69.98 23%
Street Fighter V Season 1 Character Pass $6.99 $9.99 30%
Street Fighter X Tekken $5.99 $29.99 80%
Street Fighter X Tekken Complete Pack $11.99 $59.99 80%
Tekken 7 $19.99 $49.99 60%
Them’s Fightin’ Herds $11.24 $14.99 25%
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 $9.99 $24.99 60%
Ultra Street Fighter IV $7.49 $29.99 75%
Ultra Street Fighter IV Digital Upgrade $3.74 $14.99 75%
UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH Exe:Late $7.49 $29.99 75%
Vanguard Princess $1.49 $4.99 70%
Yatagarasu Attack on Cataclysm $9.89 $14.99 34%

Take note that the above list focuses mainly on the games and their major DLC packs or season passes. There are a number of smaller DLC items — such as costumes, soundtracks, etc. — that are also on sale.

The Steam Summer Sale ends on July 5, so interested players looking to grab some — if not all — of these games should act soon.

Source: Steam

VesperArcade talks about Cody, and whether or not he can break Street Fighter V’s “Season 3 Curse”

For players who have been following Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, there’s one noticeable thing regarding the Season 3 DLC characters. For the most part, the characters that have been released in Season 3 have been considered generally weak, and not really relevant to the title’s metagame.

With the impending release of Cody today on June 25 — a day earlier than originally announced — people are wondering if the new mayor will befall the same fate, or if he’ll somehow be the one to break what has been dubbed the “Season 3 Curse”. This is the focus of a new video from VesperArcade: here they discuss the character and the toolset he has (based on what we’ve seen so far), looking at whether or not he may actually fare better than the previous Season 3 characters — and maybe even make a significant dent in the current meta.

Source: VesperArcade

SNK’s The Last Blade 2 is now available on the Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch’s expansive NEO GEO fighter collection grows once again with the addition of The Last Blade 2. This SNK classic, with its eclectic cast of sword-swingers, is now available for download on the Nintendo eShop — which means it’s now available across all present-gen consoles.

Boasting the participation of Guilty Gear creator and former SNK employee Daisuke Ishiwatari, The Last Blade 2 is a unique title with quality graphics and unique game-play that has stood the test of time.

Switch owners who would like to own it for nostalgia purposes — or wish to play the solid retro title for the first time — can now acquire the download for a mere $8.

Source: Destructoid

Get to know Mayor Cody ahead of his arrival in this Street Fighter V introduction video

In the latest video in the Street Fighter V: Character Introduction Series, Capcom officially invites you to spend some time with Mayor Cody Travers. The brief-yet-informative video gives an insightful rundown on the new moves and strategies that we’ve seen from the new Cody in his gameplay trailer and during the WinnerStaysOn Cody Showcase.

Cody’s evolution into an upstanding citizen does seem to come with some noticeable changes to his moveset, most notably the absence of his dubiously-named Criminal Upper special attack. However, as the video begins to break down the details of his two V-Triggers, you’ll see that he is still not above using knives and pipes to get the job done.

Despite a few obvious updates to the bored, brawling inmate we all know grew to know and love, Cody’s character introduction video makes him look like an exciting new addition to the Street Fighter V roster. You’ll be able to judge for yourself when he is released later today!

Source: Street Fighter (Youtube)

Locke Cole steals the show in his Dissidia Final Fantasy NT launch trailer

Final Fantasy VI‘s swashbuckling treasure hunter Locke Cole has just been released for Dissidia Final Fantasy NT. It wasn’t long ago that he was revealed to be the 2nd of six DLC characters planned, with the first being Final Fantasy XII‘s bureaucratic boss, Vayne Carudas Solidor.

According to the hints dropped by Square Enix regarding the identities of the upcoming fighters, the next reveal will be of a female from the “newer half” of the Final Fantasy franchise. While that certain doesn’t narrow things down too much, the next character should arrive in around two months, so fans have about that long to speculate.

Season pass holders can put Locke’s “treasure hunting” abilities to good use in Dissidia Final Fantasy NT today — and everyone can check out his nostalgia-filled launch trailer below.

Source: Destructoid via Square Enix