Frostkeep Studios has a new post on the Rend site to let fans know that the game’s Early Access program will be pushed back until later in 2017. The letter informs players that the team wants to take Rend to the next level based on player feedback from pre-alpha. As a result, Frostkeep is “re-evaluating current development plans and exploring ways in which we can deliver an even more robust in-game experience at launch”.
– ArcheAge Begins Mobile CBT Arrives, All Welcome to Join In
Gamevil has sent word that the second round of the Android global beta test for ArcheAge Begins has kicked off and that it will run through July 3rd. Anyone around the world can download the game from Google Play and take part in this testing opportunity. During the event, a number of special in-game events will take place to ensure players have a chance to see the game in action.
Don’t be a (Tekken 7) Chicken and learn frame data from this mobile app
Everyone knows that learning frame data is essential to being good at any fighting game, but how many of us actively take the time to befriend the numbers? If you’re looking to get an edge over your competition in Tekken, there’s a mobile app to answer questions on the go.
Tekken Chicken released earlier this month for Android and iOS-powered devices. The app boasts data for every character in the game and lists their move sets. You can see detailed information for all of them, such as damage, hit level, and properties on block, hit, counter hit, and speed. It’s also possible to filter a character’s move list by those properties, including special ones, such as Rage Art, Drive, and more.
While the app doesn’t contain images, it teases that “more content, images, and stats [are] coming soon!”
Check it out — it’s available both on the Google Play Store as well as the iTunes App Store. And if you’re looking for a more basic introduction to Tekken either for yourself or for a friend, check out the new Marshall’s Dojo!
Sources: Google Play Store; iTunes App Store
Tension Pulse kicks in as the new Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 online exhibition series
It’s time for a new exhibition series! Tension Pulse is the successor to the Super Steam Xrd Exhibition League, an online series featuring players from all over the country and beyond in commentated first-to-seven matches. As the Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- era drew to a close, the Steam launch of Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 (fixed up with some patches!) is also the inauguration of the “Season 2” of quality online exhibition matches.
It’s the same format as before: two sets of matches leading to FT7s, streamed and packaged with quality commentary. We’ll see the new REV 2 characters in the first set, some new players, and maybe a few returning ones in the future as well.
On deck are FaultyDefense with a brand new character, the Business Ninja Answer, versus TheArm’s Ramlethal Valentine. The other match-up features TSB|Blaze’s Raven–more excited than ever before–against yours truly, the one and only, SRK writer and old Baiken main: Woocash.
FaultyDefense
On REV 2 changes: “Well, I’m playing a new character, one that has a much more dynamic offense. I think his neutral game is actually very boring, but on touch he wants to be extremely aggressive, which is more in line with my history of picking characters.”
On his opponent: “I’m worried about getting blown-up in the corner. Arm watches good anime, which makes him a threat in any anime game. It’s a long-proven fact that if you have #### taste, you’re doomed to fail at these games.
“For real though, we’ve played several times and it always comes down to the wire. Most of my wins involve me put in some situation where I should have died, a scramble happens, and I luck out somehow. So I’m hoping that through some miracle, our first time playing online turns out to be a clean, fun set… fingers crossed. Sin and Answer probably play the match-up very similarly, but with Answer it’s easier for me to die off of a bad read or laziness, and it’s a bit harder to turn the random hit into big damage. We’ll see if I can hit the big stuff online, if not, I’m going to want to favor a long, slow game.”
On his own playstyle: “I’ve learned to tone down my rushdown tendencies to keep from dying in neutral, but I still get antsy when I’m not landing hits. Because of Answer’s poor meter gain and difficulty of punishes on both short and lightweight characters, I’m still unsure of how hard I need to be going in on a character like Millia and if I should be playing risk/reward or simply keeping her at bay with Answer’s amazing normals. I’d like to think I have a more calculated approach going into the match-up, but when the game is playing I tend to let my instincts take over more often than I should.”
TheArm
On REV 2 changes: “Basically nothing. Ram is functionally the exact same character. Her new moves have very few practical uses so you won’t see me use them much (if at all). 214S does not reach far enough to help safely confirm regular hit fS and the reward, even on hi,t is just some meter in exchange for no knockdown and a total loss of pressure. The air versions are massively unsafe when done anywhere other than right before you land and again have very little reward as you can’t combo afterward meterless.
The moves really don’t seem to have a place in Ram’s kit when she is so focused around getting one hit and running setplay as neither of them really help in that primary gameplan.”
On his opponent: “I think Faulty is a strong player who has an exceptional ability to pick up and play multiple/new characters. We haven’t played since 2016 CEO, where he beat me with Sin, so I am interested to see how it goes this time.”
On his own playstyle: “My playstyle focuses on movement and setting up traps. However, if I see a chance to hit someone or take my turn, I will, as Ram’s reward is off the charts once I am able to get the hit and run the setplay.”
TSB|Blaze
On REV 2 changes: “My character overall! He feels like a new character after his changes. At level 1 excitement, he’s worse than REV 1 Raven, but at level 2 and 3, he’s a lot better. Some of his combo routes are new and change up on the go depending on the excitement level. I feel he is a lot stronger in REV 2, but also a lot harder. He only gets stronger if the player gets him there.”
On his opponent: “I played Woocash at Combo Breaker for a couple of sets and was very impressed by how fast he caught up with Baiken. I’m expecting a good match, but I’m also going to try my best to body him 
.”
On his own playstyle: “My playstyle is pure rushdown. I don’t like giving my opponent a chance to think or breathe. I like putting them in difficult situations where they will desperately make a mistake, and I make them pay for it. And thanks to Raven’s buffs in this version, it also buffed my playstyle 
.”
SRK|Woocash
On REV 2 changes: “One of my old mains returns! It’s momentous, and I’ve only had a month to play so far. Despite a playstyle that looks similar, she’s quite different, and I can’t say that I have a good grasp of Azami yet. The counters are much more difficult to use than before but more rewarding. Tatami isn’t quite as broken it was once before, but YRC Tatami is great. Her normals are much more impactful up close and can lead to huge damage. Overall, I’m still adjusting! If you see me blown up a lot for no reason, I probably was trying to use Azami.”
On my opponent: “Blaze is quite aggressive, which is what will lead to his downfall. Baiken is the exact type of character than can take advantage of the opponent’s strength and aggressiveness against them. He does have a good grasp of Raven stuff already, and the REV 2 changes sure are scary. It will take on-point execution on my part to work him down as well as finely planned pressure. It will be tough, but doable.”
On my own playstyle: “Playing Sin in Xrd has made me an aggressive risk-taker (Bull Bash all day!) so I have to tone down quite a bit. In reality, my favorite thing is to pull off something effective that’s almost jaw-dropping to the opponent–think something like Baiken’s Azami super, out of nowhere. I love doing the exact counter at the exact right time to surprise my foe. I’m actually not a very analytical or thoughtful player. I play with feeling. As someone I value in the FGC has told me once, I’m someone who greatly uses intuition–often to good effect!
“It’s also an honor to play in an exhibition that I’ve written so much about, not to mention be the opener for Tension Pulse. It’s a lot of pressure, and I actually haven’t had many opportunities to be so directly involved with FG community stuff, so I hope to get out there more!”
Pray for my Baiken during the Tension Pulse kickoff, which is tomorrow, June 22nd, on Silva_hime’s Twitch channel as always. starting at 9:00 PM EST/8:00 PM CST/6:00 PM PDT. TheBeautifulDude and Samifish11 will grace the microphone stations.
To learn more about this online league, read all about its predecessor, the Super Steam Xrd Exhibition League.
Sources: interviews; Mdesilva
Method adds Luffy, Packz and Cobelcog to its roster for the Gfinity Elite Series
With the Gfinity Elite Series on the horizon, esports organization Method have picked up three major European players to swell their fighting game roster. Alongside current number one on the European Capcom Pro Tour leaderboard Hay “Luffy” Olivier, Method have also picked up top UK Karin Marcus “Packz” Parker and Ireland’s number one player Chris “Cobelcog” McEntee.
Our #SFV Roster is set for @Gfinity! @Louffy086 @DopeBoyPackz @Cobelcog#MethodFGC #MethodWayhttps://t.co/3OLZaCyNSc pic.twitter.com/D7xYgGaYiS
— Method (@Methodgg) June 21, 2017
These signings should continue past the Gfinity Elite Series, with the three players hoping to represent Method at Evo and the rest of this year’s Capcom Pro Tour. Method have also brought on three extra players just for the Elite Series, being Guy “oldmangrump” Barlow, Jordan “Quiggy” Quigg and Kurtis “Dbk” Crowther. While their contracts are only temporary, these three British players could join Method in full, should they perform well at the Gfinity Elite Series.
These signings are not Method’s first foray into the FGC, as they signed Devon “Mikeand1ke” Petties, Giuseppe “REO” Grosso and Ryan “SylverRye” Amaechi back in May. The esports organization is mainly known for being the world’s best World of Warcraft raiding guild, but have recently branched into CS:GO and Rocket League, alongside the FGC.
Source: Method
Exclusive cover for UDON’s Street Fighter & Friends Swimsuit Special by Tsuji Santa available at Anime Expo
Anime Expo gets a limited-edition version of UDON’s upcoming 2017 pinup book.
Fans of Street Fighter, swimsuits, and Super Sonico won’t want to miss this cover variant of the Street Fighter & Friends 2017 Swimsuit Special, available at the UDON Entertainment booth (#3218) at Anime Expo from July 1-2, 2017. This version sports cover art by Super Sonico creator Tsuji Santa! From UDON:
Tsuji Santa is best known as the creator and artist of Super Sonico, the voluptuous flagship character of game developer Nitroplus. Tsuji Santa’s uniquely alluring skills have produced a fabulous cover image featuring fan-favorite female fighters Morrigan and Chun-li, ready for a fun filled (or perhaps fight-filled…) day at the beach!
This version of the comic will be limited to 200 copies at the expo. If you can’t make it to Anime Expo but don’t want to miss this special limited-edition cover, you can pre-order a copy directly from Focus Attack for $24.95 USD (maximum of 2). It will ship alongside orders of the regular editions, scheduled to arrive in stores on July 26, 2017.
Source: UDON Entertainment, Focus Attack
Fatal Fury 2 now available on Nintendo Switch, coming to PlayStation 4 soon
Fatal Fury 2 has just been released for the Nintendo Switch, and soon it will be available on the PlayStation 4, according to a report by Eurogamer. While there is yet to be an indication of the game’s release in the PlayStation Store, the title is already listed on Nintendo.com for $7.99 USD, joining Garou: Mark of the Wolves, The King of Fighters ’99, and several other retro fighters playable on Nintendo’s new console.
There are a host of NEO GEO ports on the Nintendo Switch already, and the platform is shaping up to be a great one for retro games in general. Fatal Fury 2 should appear in PSN soon, but you can currently buy the Nintendo Switch version here.
Source: Eurogamer
Get a glimpse of Undisputed Street Fighter — an upcoming 304-page art book celebrating Street Fighter’s history
Bleeding Cool have shared their exclusive look at Undisputed Street Fighter: The Art and Innovation Behind the Game-Changing Series, a 304-page hardcover art book celebrating the 30th anniversary of the original fighting game franchise. The book is the collaborative effort of writer Steve Hendershot and editor Tim Lapetino. Below are statements from the writer and editor, as well as a a gallery with a few sample pages from the upcoming book.
Steve Hendershot:
Street Fighter is a running, 30-year conversation between the series’ creators, players and fans. Its genius — the magic of shoulder-to-shoulder arcade play, and the playful, vivid style of its characters — stems from that back-and-forth. It’s been so much fun to hear all sides of that conversation from Tokyo and Osaka to San Francisco and Chicago, and I’m excited to tell the story through this book.
Tim Lapetino:
It’s been an excellent adventure delving so deeply into the labyrinth of characters and people who make up Street Fighter Nation. We’ve drawn from 30 years of the best art and stories the franchise has to offer, and Steve has brought his fresh take to all things Street Fighter with a ton of new interviews and insights. The book is a love letter to those who grew up with Street Fighter and also to everyone carrying it into the future.
Undisputed Street Fighter: The Art and Innovation Behind the Game-Changing Series is set to release sometime in November. Check out the samples in the gallery above, and stay tuned for an official release date!
Source: Bleeding Cool
Canada Cup Vancouver 2017 forced to change venue and tournament offerings
An unexpected change of venue shakes up the Vancouver tournament.
If you’re planning to attend Canada Cup Vancouver 2017 — already registered, or not — you’ll want to take note of the event’s surprise change of venue. Scheduled for July 1-2 in Vancouver, British Columbia, the event’s planned River Rock Casino venue has pulled out without warning, leaving the event to scramble to find a substitute. A replacement has been found and Canada Cup Vancouver will proceed this year, but with some changes.
The event will now take place at EXP Restaurant + Bar, and the smaller venue has forced the drop of doubles tournaments and placed entry caps on the games. There is also now a $20.00 spectator entry fee. Full details about the changes for each game can be found on the Canada Cup Vancouver website.
Because the event has been forced to operate differently than advertised, Canada Cup Gaming is offering refunds for registrants that choose to no longer attend, available until registration closes on June 27th. To claim a refund, follow the instructions on the website here. Registrants that opt to still attend will receive a $10.00 voucher for the EXP Bar.
From Canada Cup Gaming:
We appreciate your understanding and patience in this difficult matter. The Canada Cup team are all very disappointed in not being able to deliver the tournament experience you expect, we hope you can accept our sincerest apologies, and we appreciate your continued support and understanding.
As this is a difficult matter we have been advised to respectfully decline to answer any questions regarding the River Rock Casino at this time.
Source: Canada Cup Gaming
New trailer surfaces for SNK’s forthcoming CG animation series, The King of Fighters: Destiny
A new trailer for The King of Fighters: Destiny, SNK’s forthcoming CG animation series, was uploaded on January 19th. The 3D project is a result of SNK’s partnership with Chinese investors, and the series has an official page on the SNK China website.
Building on hints dropped via short glimpses from the first trailer, the new footage touches on details of the Bogard brothers’ backstory from the Fatal Fury series. Though it is also clear that The King of Fighters protagonist — Kyo Kusanagi — is undoubtedly on center stage, it seems that the Bogard and Kusanagi stories will be told in tandem, with the former used to do more of the world building while the latter drives the series’ main conflict.
The trailer does not include an official release date, but we do know that it is set to air sometime this summer. Hopefully we will hear something soon, but in the meantime, you can check it out below.
Source: snkGames