British contender Stephen Smith (23-1, 13 KOs) will challenge IBF super featherweight champion Jose Pedraza (21-0, 12 KOs) on April 16 at Foxwoods Resort, Connecticut, USA.
The fight was originally set for March 26 in New York but the American promoters was unable to fulfil that date, so it was rescheduled.
The 30-year-old Smith earned the shot when stopping Devis Boschiero in the sixth round in a elimination fight in September.
The Liverpudlian has won his last 11 fights since the only defeat…
Various Dead or Alive 5 Last Round Content Discounted on PlayStation Network
KOEI Tecmo America has announced a number of great deals for Dead or Alive 5 Last Round and its free-to-play Core Fighters variation on PlayStation Network.
First up, Jann Lee is now available to download for free in the PlayStation 4 version of Core Fighters. While the title’s available characters rotates on a regular basis, downloading Jann Lee will leave him permanently unlocked. Additionally, anyone who wants to simply unlock every character can now grab the full set for only $35.69, 30% off the regular price of $50.99.
If costumes are more your style, both versions have seen discounts on the Fighter Force and Deception costume packs. The former, which re-imagines the characters as superheroes, is available for only $16.99 (down from $22.99), while the latter has been priced at $23.79 (down from $33.99).
Interested fans can head on over to the PlayStation Store to check out these deals before they disappear on March 23.
Source: KOEI Tecmo America, thanks to AriesWarlock, Xhominid for the tips.
Team Spooky Contributes Over $1,000 to Street Fighter V Prize Pool at Upcoming Next Level Battle Circuit
At the beginning of last night’s Next Level Battle Circuit, official broadcaster Victor “Spooky” Fontanez had a special announcement concerning an upcoming installment of the weekly tournament series.
Due to the increase in viewership after Street Fighter V’s release, Spooky announced that he will be contributing all of the revenue he earned on Wednesday night, whether it was from advertisements, subscriptions, or outright donations, to the game’s pot on March 16. According to Next Level Arcade owner Henry Cen, this resulted in an increase of over $1,000, which should give players a bit more impetus to attend apart from getting some extra practice in before Final Round 19.
Next Level Battle Circuit is hosted in Brooklyn, New York every Wednesday night. If you want to check it out in person, be sure to head on over to Next Level Arcade’s official website for more details.
Sources: Team Spooky, Next Level Arcade
NetherRealm Studios Shows Sonic Fox Some Love with New Mortal Kombat X Achievement
There’s no arguing that Critical Reaction’s Dominique “Sonic Fox” McLean is currently the best Mortal Kombat X player in the world. With two ESL Pro League championships under his belt, not to mention a dominating performance at Evo 2015, all eyes are on this young player as we enter another year of competition, so much so that even the developers are giving him in-game props.
With the release of Mortal Kombat XL, the title was updated with a number of new characters, stages, and balance adjustments. One thing that might have been overlooked, however, is a handful of updated trophies and achievements, depending on whether you call PlayStation 4 or Xbox One home. One in particular, “Fox Finish,” pays homage to Sonic Fox and his proclivity towards closing out intense matches with Erron Black’s caltrops.
Win the match with your opponent stepping on Caltrops.
Winning a number of major tournaments is great, but being forever immortalized in a video game? That’s something else entirely.
Sources: PSN Profiles, Xbox Achievements, r/MortalKombat, tip via NightmareSteam
Frame Trapped’s Street Fighter V Hitbox Viewer Enters Open Alpha
Frame Trapped, the developers behind a number of useful Street Fighter IV modifications, are set to bring their talents to Street Fighter V. Their first efforts have focused on a real-time hitbox viewer, and an alpha version of their tool is currently available to the public.
To try it out for yourself, all you have to do is visit their official website, grab the installer, and enjoy. Please note that you will have to launch Steam as an Administrator for added privileges and have a PC capable of running both Street Fighter V and the hitbox program at the same time in order to take full advantage of its benefits.
In addition to their hitbox viewer, Frame Trapped is working on Street Fighter V versions of their Director and Combo Trainer tools, as well as a game-to-speech feature that will provide blind players with on-screen details.
As this is merely an alpha release, there are sure to be a number of aspects that need finetuning or fixing. For general questions and feedback, be sure to hit up developer Tom Piddock on Twitter. Bug reports, however, should be sent to their dedicated email address: frametrappedbugs@gmail.com.
Source: Frame Trapped
Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- Gets Even More Stylish with Heavy Shadow Mod
With a cel shaded aesthetic that perfectly mimics the look of old-school sprite-based fighters, there’s no doubt Guilty Gear Xrd is one of the best looking games out there. That said, Xrd’s arrival on PC means that anyone can add their own artistic tweaks should its style not meet their standards.
A brand new “heavy shadow” mod does just that. Developed by deltabs, the modification in question darkens shadows on the characters to a deep black, resulting in a look that draws parellels to highly stylized anime productions like Madhouse’ REDLINE or Production I.G.’s Dead Leaves.
For a glimpse of this mod in action, check out the short clips from Twitter user Duse below.
Bedman's IK with heavy shading @gcyoshi13 pic.twitter.com/NgLQvojy7e
— Duse (@Dusekar) February 24, 2016
Slayer's IK with heavy shading ( https://t.co/KjQvc2HEE1 ) pic.twitter.com/055R6UDA7s
— Duse (@Dusekar) February 24, 2016
Zato's IK with heavy shading + taunt edit included in mod ( https://t.co/KjQvc2HEE1 ) pic.twitter.com/dn1mHBlUQN
— Duse (@Dusekar) February 24, 2016
Faust's IK with heavy shading ( https://t.co/KjQvc2HEE1 ) pic.twitter.com/DGIjxLGPUY
— Duse (@Dusekar) February 24, 2016
Those interested in trying this mod out can download it on Nexus Mods.
BlazBlue: Chronophantasma EXTEND Now Available on Steam
The day has finally come–we who prefer swinging fists at one another via PC can finally do so in the current iteration of Arc System Works’ BlazBlue series.
Earlier today, BlazBlue: Chronophantasma EXTEND went live for purchase on Steam, and is currently being offered for 10% off its list price, bringing the grand total to $26.99. Those who already own copies of BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger or BlazBlue: Continuum Shift EXTEND will receive a further 10% discount on top of this for their loyalty to the series, adding up to a 20% total discount. Both of these markdowns will only be available until March 9.
On top of the full game, BlazBlue: Chronophantasma EXTEND on Steam comes bundled with plenty of downloadable content, including additional system voice options, My Room item packs, and 8-bit character avatars from the XBLAZE Lose Memories set.
Source: Steam
Street Fighter V Server Disconnect Interrupts Local Grand Finals Match
It’s no secret that Street Fighter V shipped with a multitude of unacceptable issues, from lackluster matchmaking to routine server disconnects. While these issues have typically only affected players leveling up in the comfort of their own homes, a local Southern California tournament saw them pop up during arguably the most inopportune time of all: a grand finals match.
After battling their way through a solid bracket all night, finalists Iansanity (love the name, by the way) and Mike were primed to close out Toasty Tuesdays with one final bout. Both players found themselves in the winners finals just a few matches prior, but Mike would need to take two separate sets to avenge his loss. And as their fight came to its final rounds, the unthinkable happened.
See, the Street Fighter V servers are still pretty unstable. But instead displaying a simple notification when a disconnect occurs, the game completely shuts down and kicks players out of whatever mode is currently being used, even if it’s an offline mode like versus. As you can see, this has the potential to utterly disrupt tournaments, as shown by the confusion it caused at Toasty Tuesdays.
While some may argue that the tournament organizers shouldn’t have been connected to the internet in the first place, this isn’t something we should be worried about as competitors. Like the other issues that continue to plague Street Fighter V, we hope that Capcom takes steps to correct it. If you run a tournament, please do whatever you can to avoid this possibility, and stay vigilant of your station’s connectivity if you’re a competitor.
A full archive of this incident can be found by following the link below.
Source: Epic Gamer Productions via Mike Zaimont
Mortal Kombat XL’s Extensive Balance Changes Detailed
Alongside new characters and improved network play, Mortal Kombat XL brings with it a host of system and balance changes. While some were already reported during the recent beta, the developers recently provided a complete look at what has been adjusted.
Some of the more notable changes include reduced chip damage and meter gain across the board, a more realistic game timer, breakers draining both players’ stamina, and a number of balance changes to the existing cast. The entire list has been included below.
Mortal Kombat XL Patch Notes
General Gameplay Fixes
- New rollback based enhanced online multiplayer is now active
- Reduced chipdamage from most normals
- Reduced metergain from having most normals blocked
- Round timer now operates in real time seconds
- Neutral jumping attacks are more negative on block on the way up
- After a breaker or block breaker stamina is removed from both players
- Stamina now starts to refill 2 secs after a breaker (down from 2.5 secs) at a 50% faster rate
- Lowered the trade priority of most jumping attacks and increased hurt regions after their startup frames
- Reduced the meter gain on most multi-hitting strings and some multi-hitting special moves
- Grab background interactions now function as true command grabs which can combo from a hit
- Most projectile background interactions can now have their trajectory lowered by holding Down which can make them harder to low profile
- Adjusted the background collision at the ends of some arenas which would cancel out some profiles sooner than desired
- Added 2 more recovery frames after a blocked or missed attack while jumping backwards
- Adjusted the throw immunity of most special moves
- Increased combo damage scaling after a throw tech
- Combos do not end after a meter burned throw at the end of a match
- Some hit sparks are now red when the move connects during an opponent’s recovery frames
- Fixed some incorrect framedata in the movelist
- Adjusted many combos which were inconsistent if the player and opponent were not both chest to screen or chest away from screen
- Added 3 more frames to the throw tech window
- A teched throw at the beginning of a match will no longer grant first hit bonus
Character Specific Fixes
Cassie Cage
- Flip Kick now has 7 startup frames (up from 6)
- Flip KickEx no longer has armor
- Down+FP is now -6 on block (up from -8)
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -4 on block (up from -9)
- Change the last input of the Cage Raged combo from Away+BP, FP, BP, Down+FP+BP to Down+BP+BK
- Reduced the cancel advantage of the 4th hit of the Away+BP, FP, BP, Down+BP+BK combo
- Away+BP, FP, BP is now -14 on block with less pushback (down from -4)
- (Hollywood) – The hit advantage of Nut Buster and Nut Kracker are now more consistent regardless of the height it connects at
- (Brawler) – Added Haymaker (enhanced version of Take Down) which is armored and does more damage
- (Brawler) – Added Bone Breaker (enhanced version of Bow Breaker) which is armored, does more damage, and can combo from a hit
D’Vorah
- Increased the damage of Ovipositor Charge & Ovipositor Rush by 2
- Ovipositor Rush now has 14 startup frames (down from 20)
- Ovipositor Rush is now -17 on block (down from -12)
- Away+FK is now a high block and +11 on block (up from +2 and a mid)
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -11 on block (down from -15)
- (Swarm Queen) – increased combo damage scaling after dash cancelling out of Wasp Grenade
- (Brood Mother) – reduced the cooldown on Krawler to 3 seconds (down from 4)
- (Venomous) – Bug Spray &Bug Burst is now max -23 on block and +12 on hit (down from -20 on block and +15 on hit)
Ermac
- Away+FP is now a high block and has 9 startup frames and 3 active frames (down from 11 start and up from 2 active)
- Down+FP is now -6 on block (down from -10)
- Increased the block advantage of Away+BP by 1 and it is now more plus on block the longer it is charged
- Towards+FK now has 11 startup frames and is -4 on block (down from 13 startup and -3 on block)
- Towards+FK, BK is now -1 on block (up from -6)
- Towards+BK, FK is now -6 on block (up from -11)
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -10 on block (up from -16)
- Changed the command input of Hover to Down, Up+Block (from Down, Down, Up)
- (Mystic) – Levitate (Tele-Choke) is now -6 on block and has 9 startup frames (up from -14 on block and down from 11 startup frames)
- (Spectral) – Changed the command input of Soul Ascension to Down, Up+Block (from Down, Down, Up)
Erron Black
- Increased pushback on block for Sand Shot and it is now +6 on block (down from +7)
- Increased range on Sand Trap Tackle and it now has13 startup frames (down from16)
- Quick Sand Tackle will now combo from a hit
- Increased the hit advantage of Quick Sand Tackle &Sand Trap Tackle by 10
- Down+FP now has 7 startup frames (down from 8)
- Towards+BK is now -12 on block and +17 on hit (down from -21 on block and up +7 on hit)
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -7 on block (up from -12)
- Increased hit advantage and hit cancel advantage by 1-3 on most normals and strings
Ferra/Torr
- Added Little One Slide (enhanced Bowl Girl) special move which can allow for a combo afterwards
- Added Ferra Throw (enhanced Ferra Toss) special move which can allow for a combo afterwards
- BP, Towards+BK is now -5 on block (up from -8), does 1 less damage, and can now be special canceled
- Down+BP is now +4 on block (up from -11)
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -9 on block (down from -18)
- Down+FP (sans Ferra) is now -6 on block (down from -3)
- Away+BK (sans Ferra) is now -6 on block (up from -17)
- Towards+BP can no longer be used twice to extend the same combo
- Grab ‘n’ Stab can now combo from a hit
- Away+2 can now be special canceled into X-Ray or background interactions
- Increased hit advantage and hit cancel advantage by 2-4 on most normals and strings
- (Vicious) – Added Boss Launch (enhanced Boss Toss) which goes farther
- (Vicious) – Slightly reduced the range of Boss Toss
- (Vicious) – Gut Ripper can now combo from a hit
- (Lackey) – Boulder Roll&Double Boulder Roll are now -10 and -6 on block (down from -12 and -9)
- (Lackey) – Increased combo damage scaling on Boulder Roll&Double Boulder Roll
- (Lackey) – Colossal Crush can now combo from a hit
Goro
- Increased the active frames on jumping FP
- Shokan Slam can now combo from a hit
- armor on X-Ray now lasts until the active frames
- Towards+BK is now +4 on block (up from +2)
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -9 on block (down from -13)
- Reduced run startup frames and increased it distance traveled
- Slightly sped up his step forward
- (Kuatan Warrior) – Tremor will be combo damage scaled after combo when used in an unavoidable off the ground situation
- (Dragon Fangs) – Shokan Massacre can now combo from a hit
Jacqui Briggs
- Bionic Dash & Bionic Blast are now -9 and 0 on block (down from -19 and -21) with increased pushback on block
- BP, FK is now a low block
- Increased hit advantage and hit cancel advantage by 1-3 on most normals and strings
- added 5 more frames to buffer the Stanky Leg input from BK
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -6 on block (up from -10)
- (Shotgun) – Single Barrel is now +17 on hit (up from +1)
Jason Vorhees
- added 5 recovery frames to Back Breaker & Spine Shatter
- Choke & Choke Slam now have 12 startup frames (down from 15)
- You can now throw the opponent forward by holding Towards after Spine Shatter connects
- Down+FP now has 6 startup frames (down from 8)
- Down+BP now has 6 startup frames (down from 9)
- Away+FK now has 9 startup frames and is -11 on block (down from 12 startup and -9 on block)
- Away+FK, FP+FK is now a command throw
- Added Away+FK, Up+FP combo string
- Added Away+FK, Down+FP combo string
- Towards+FK is now +7 on block (up from -1)
- Down+FK now has 10 startup frames and is -3 on block (down from 11 startup and up -8 on block)
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -3 on block (up from -14)
- Down+BK now has 13 startup frames and is -2 on block (down from 16 startup and up -3 on block)
- (Slasher) – removed 9 recovery frames from Machete Toss & Machete Throw
- (Slasher) – Away+FP now has 9 startup frames and is -11 on block (down from 11 startup and -10 on block)
- (Relentless) – Increased the scaling damage boost from Damned to 1.1x / 1.25x / 1.45x / 1.75x (from 1.1x / 1.2x / 1.33x / 1.5x)
- (Unstoppable) – removed 12 recovery frames from Corpse Walk
- (Unstoppable) – slightly increased the health gain from Rise & Corpse Walk
- (Unstoppable) – Rise & Corpse Walk now also gain meter while active
- (Unstoppable) – while Punishment & Rampant are active most of your attacks will break through opponents armor
- (Unstoppable) – Punishment & Rampant now lasts 7 seconds (up from 5 seconds)
- (Unstoppable) – Rampant now lasts 10 seconds (up from 5 seconds)
Jax Briggs
- Reduced the hit region of Towards+FK
- Down+FP, Down+BP is now -2 on block (up from -7)
- Increased combo damage scaling after Gotcha Beatdown, Downward Dash Punch, &Downward Dash Fist
- Away+BP is now -13 on block (down from -8)
- Down+FK is now -2 on block (down from 0)
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -13 on block (up from -17)
- Ground Shake will be combo damage scaled after combo when used in an unavoidable off the ground situation
- (Pumped Up) – Air Drill Punch &Ground Quake will be combo damage scaled after combo when used in an unavoidable off the ground situation
- (Wrestler) – Added 8 recovery frames to Quad Grab&Quad Grapple
- (Wrestler) – increased hit advantage after Back Breaker by 10
- (Wrestler) -Quad Grapple can now combo from a hit
Johnny Cage
- Increased the active frames on jumping BP
- Nutcracker is now -14 on block (down from -12)
- Down+FK now has 7 startup frames and is -9 on block (down from 10 startup and -4 on block)
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -12 on block (up from -22)
- Down+BK now has 5 more recovery frames and is-6 on block (down from -1)
- Increased damage of throw when Red Shadow is active
- (Fisticuffs) – Fist Bump now recovers 4 frames faster and lasts for 9 seconds (up from 8 seconds)
- (Fisticuffs) – Away+1 now has 10 startup frames (down from 11)
- (Fisticuffs) – Hits of Speed Bag string do additional damage on hit and block if Fist Bump is active
- (Fisticuffs) – does the increased damage throw while Fist Bump is active
- (A-List) – Nut Breaker is now -21 on block (down from -11)
- (A-List) – Nut Breaker when meter burned is now -14 on block (down from -12)
Kano
- Up Ball&Uprise Ball will hit more consistently after 7 startup frames
- Away+FP is now -8 on block (down -2)
- Away+FP, FK is now -2 on block (down from -1)
- Down+FP is now -7 on block (down from -9)
- Down+FK now has 7 startup frames (down from 8)
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -6 on block (up from -10)
- Down+BK is now -12 on block (up from -7)
- Air Ball now hits overhead
- (Cutthroat) – Blade Slice is now -5 on block (up from -8)
- (Cutthroat) – Bloody Slice is now -15 on block (down from -8)
- (Cutthroat) – Away+FP has slightly increased range
- (Cybernetic) – Upward Laser now has 6 startup frames and 21 recovery frames (down from 10 startup and up from 18 recovery)
- (Commando) – Added 8 recovery frames to Rib Strike &Rib Breaker
- (Commando) – Choke &Strangle are now +15 and +23 on hit (up from -5 and +5)
- (Commando) – Gains a new BP, BP combo string
- (Commando) – Gains a new Away+FP, FK, FP+FK string
- (Commando) – Rib Breaker&Power Bomb can now combo from a hit
Kenshi
- Blade Reflect & Blade Absorb now have 7 startup frames (down from 10)
- Blade Reflect & Blade Absorb can now parry most non low attacks
- After a successful parry from Blade Reflect &Blade Absorb you can special cancel into another special move
- Away+FP now has 13 startup frames and is -1 on block (down from 17 startup and up from -6 on block)
- Down+FP now has 7 startup frames (down from 8)
- BP now has 9 startup frames and is -14 on block (down from 11 and -9 on block)
- BP, BP can now be meter burned to reset the combo string
- Added Towards+BP, FP, FP / BK combo strings
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -9 on block (up from -13)
- Away+BP is now -4 on block (up from -18)
- adjusted the reaction of BP, FP, FP, BP+BK to make comboing afterwards easier
- Increased the damage of BK by 2 and decreased the damage of BK, FP by 2
- Towards+BK is now a high block, has extended range, and has 16 startup frames (down from 18)
- BP, FP, BP is now -2 on block (up from -5)
- (Possessed) – After Demon Port & Demon Beam you can hold Towards to perform directional jumping attacks instead of neutral jumping attacks
- (Possessed) – Increased damage of Soul Push & Soul Charge by 2 and 5
- (Kenjutsu) – FK, BP, BP is now -4 on block (up from -8)
- (Kenjutsu) – Away+BP is now -4 on block (up from -18)
Kitana
- Down+FK now has 6 startup frames and is -3 on block (down from 9 startup and up from -5 on block)
- BK is now +11 on block (up from +2)
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -2 on block (up from -6)
- (Assassin) – Sharpen &Razor Blade now has 54 and 30 recovery frames (down from 73 & 55)
- (Assassin) – Increased armor frames on Assassin Impale
- (Mournful) – reduced block stun frames on the first hit of Glaive Return
Kotal Kahn
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -8 on block (up from -13)
- Sunstone & Burning Sunstone now breaks through Ice Klone
- Towards+BK now has 23 startup frames and is now +9 on block (up from 20 startup frames and -2)
- (War God) – Sword Quake will be combo damage scaled after combo when used in an unavoidable off the ground situation
- (Sun God) – Moon God Choke can now combo from a hit
Kung Lao
- Reduced the hit region of Jumping BP
- (Tempest) – Orbiting Hat is now +7 on block (down from +12)
- (Tempest) – Orbiting Hat is now +40 on hit (up from +17)
- (Tempest) – Cyclone pulls the opponent closer when blocked
Kung Jin
- Towards+BK is now +4 on block (up from -1)
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -8 on block (up from -12)
Liu Kang
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -9 on block (up from -13)
- (Dragon Fire) – Flip Kick from Bicycle Kick is now 0 on block (down from +2)
- (Dualist) – Yang damage buff no longer goes away when you get hit
Mileena
- Removed 5 recovery frames from Double Sai Blast
- Removed 3 recovery frames from Sai Blast
- Removed 3 recovery frames from Air Sai Blast
- Down+FP now has 6 startup frames and is -5 on block (down from 9 startup and -4 on block)
- Down+FK now has 8 startup frames and is -6 on block (down from 10 startup and -1 on block)
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -4 on block (up from -8)
- Towards+BK now has 15 startup frames and is -8 on block (down from 17 startup and -31 on block)
- (Piercing) – Removed 5 recovery frames from Low Sai & Double Low Sai
- (Piercing) – Away+FP is now -2 on block (down from -5)
- (Piercing) – Away+FP, BP is now -1 on block (down from +2)
- (Ravenous) – High Pounce now has 12 startup frames, is -3 on block, and has 9 less recovery frames (down from 15 startup and -7 on block) and has increased range
- (Ravenous) – Low Pounce now has 8 startup frames and has 8 less recovery frames (down from 13 startup)
Predator
- Down+FP now has 8 startup frames and is -6 on block (down from 9 startup and -3 on block)
- Down+FK is now -6 on block (down from -3)
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -10 on block (up from -15)
- (Warrior) – Dread Slam now has 13 startup frames and is -4 on block (down from 29 startup and up from -9 on block)
- (Warrior) – Dread Launch now has 13 startup frames and is -14 on block (down from 29 startup and down from -9 on block)
- (Warrior) – removed 3 recovery frames from Self-Detonate & Self-Destruct
- (Hish-Qu-Ten) – lowered damage of all Plasma Shots by 1
- (Hish-Qu-Ten) – added 3 recovery frames with Cancel from Plasma Shot when the opponent is in block stun
Quan Chi
- Trance is now +46 on hit (down from 80)
- Removed 9 startup frames from Sky Crush
- removed 5 startup frames from Sky Drop
- Ground Burst meter burn is now -1 on block (down from +14) but it can now be delayed to increase the block advantage
- Increased combo damage scaling after Ground Burst
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -8 on block (up from -12)
- (Sorcerer) – Black Magic now activates in 29 frames and has 30 recovery frames (down from activates in 53 frames and 70 recovery frames)
- (Sorcerer) – Final Hex now activates in 31 frames and has 53 recovery frames (down from activates in 47 frames and 55 recovery frames)
- (Sorcerer) – Dark Curse now activates in 36 frames and has 59 recovery frames (down from activates in 45 frames and 62 recovery frames)
- (Summoner) – Increased combo damage scaling after Bat attacks
Raiden
- Towards+FP, BP is now 0 on block (up from -3)
- Down+FP is now -7 on block (down from -9)
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -3 on block (up from -17)
- Towards+BK is now +6 on block (up from -3)
- Increased the cancel advantage of Towards+FP, BP
- (Master of Storms) – Static Traps now last 20 seconds (up from 10 seconds)
Reptile
- Increased active frames on jumping FP
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -9 on block (up from -13)
- (Deceptive) – added 5 recovery frames with Stealth & Invisibility when the opponent is in block stun
- (Nimble) – Basilisk now recovers in 31 frames (down from 36)
- (Nimble) – Basilisk Runner now recovers in 61 frames (down from 71)
Scorpion
- Takedown & Takeout are now +15 on hit (up from -5)
- FP, FP is now +1 on block (up from -4)
- FP, BP is now -6 on block (up from -11)
- Down+FP is now -7 on block (up from -9)
- BP, FP is now +2 on block (up from -7)
- BP, FP, BK is now +2 on block (up from -14)
- FK now has 7 startup frames and is +2 on block (down from 11 startup frames and down from -3 on block)
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -9 on block (up from -18)
- (Ninjutsu) – Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -4 on block (up from -16)
- (Ninjutsu) – The 2nd hit of Towards+BP is now an overhead block
- (Ninjutsu) – Away+BK can now be special canceled before the 2nd hit
- (Hellfire) – Hell-Ferno will be combo damage scaled after combo when used in an unavoidable off the ground situation
Shinnok
- Amulet Curse has increased pushback on block
- Down+FP is now -7 on block (up from -9)
- Down+BP is now a high block
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -8 on block (up from -19)
- (Impostor) – After Air Tricky Portal you can hold Towards to perform directional jumping attacks instead of neutral jumping attacks
- (Necromancer) – Judgment Fist & Judgment Smash now has 52 startup frames and is +2 on hit (down from 58 startup and -3 on hit)
Sonya Blade
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -10 on block (up from -14)
- (Demolition) – Grenades no longer bounce when they hit the ground
- (Demolition) – Drone Drop now reloads 5 frames faster and recovers 3 frames faster
- (Demolition) – Increased combo damage scaling on Stun Grenade
- (Demolition) – Drone Drop now adds combo damage scaling
Sub-Zero
- Down+FP is now -4 on block (up from -6)
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -5 on block (up from -16)
- (Unbreakable) – Icy Slide will now leave the opponent frozen if it connects while Frozen Aura or Ice Aura is active
- (Grand Master) – Klone Toss can now have its trajectory lowered by holding Down
Takeda
- Down+FP now has 7 startup frames (up from 8)
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -5 on block (up from -9)
- Towards+BK is now +9 on block (up from +2)
- (Ronin) – Blade Kall and Blade Summon is now -13 on block and only hits once on block or armor (down from -5)
- (Ronin) – Away+BP now has 15 startup frames (up from 12)
Tanya
- Away+BK has increased pushback and is now -7 on block (up from -12)
- FK, BK can no longer be canceled on the first active frame
- (Kobu Jutsu) – reduced the blockstun on Tonfa Throw
- (Kobu Jutsu) – Away+FP now has 10 startup frames (up from 9)
- (Kobu Jutsu) – Reduced the pushback on block from the last hit of Tonfa Swipe
- (Kobu Jutsu) – Away+FP, BP+BK is now -10 on block (down from -4)
- (Dragon Naginata) – Increased damage of Away+BP by 2
- (Dragon Naginata) – Increased damage of Down+Away+BP by 2
- (Pyromancer) – removed 5 recovery frames from Low Fireball & High Fireball
- (Pyromancer) – removed 2 recovery frames from Air Far Fire Blast & Air Close Fire Blast
Tremor
- Rock Shower now activates 6 frames later and has 6 more recovery frames
- Rock Drop now activates 6 frames later and has 10 more recovery frames
- Down+FK is now -2 on block (down from +1)
- Down+BK is now -11 on block (down from -8)
- Ground Pulse & Ground Quake will be combo damage scaled after combo when used in an unavoidable off the ground situation
- (Crystalline) – Krystal Blast Down Shatter is now -5 on block (down from 0)
Mortal Kombat XL and its accompanying Kombat Pack 2 content are now available for PlayStation 4 and XBox One.
Source: Warner Bros.
Tempo Storm Parts Ways with ChrisG
After a year of supporting Christopher “ChrisG” Gonzalez under their banner, Tempo Storm has decided to part ways with the fighting game competitor as his contract expires. Gonzalez himself repeated these sentiments in a follow-up tweet, both of which paint the split as an amicable agreement.
Gonzalez has long been thought of as one of the three strongest Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 players in the world alongside Panda Global’s Ryan “Filipino Champ” Ramirez and Evil Geniuses’ Justin Wong, but he has also found success in titles like Street Fighter IV, King of Fighters XIII, Killer Instinct, and Mortal Kombat X. He recently began his career in Street Fighter V with a fifth-place finish at Undefeated 2016, where he also took home first in Marvel.
In addition to squads for Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Tempo Storm will continue on with a fighting game roster comprised of Jeffrey “Axe” Williamson, Weston “Westballz” Dennis, and Reepal “Rip” Parbhoo, all of whom regularly find success in their own arenas.
With a storied history behind him and a bright future ahead, we don’t expect Gonzalez to remain in free agency for long.
Sources Tempo Storm, ChrisG via Daily Dot eSports, featured image c/o Kara “Karaface” Leung