Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls launched this week from Arc System Works, and the Steam reception has been rough. The game is currently sitting at 45% (Mixed) across roughly 1,831 reviews — a difficult starting point for a live-service fighter built around a high-profile licence. We covered the pre-launch build-up yesterday; here’s the post-launch picture.
Launch Numbers
Peak concurrent players on Steam hit 24,498 — a reasonable number for a fighting game launch, but well below the 44,303 peak that Dragon Ball FighterZ (also Arc System Works) reached at its 2018 release. The Mixed score in the first 48 hours is the harder problem to dig out of.
What Reviewers Are Flagging
The most common complaints in negative reviews point to two structural issues: a mandatory PSN account login on PC (a Sony requirement that has already damaged the launch trajectory of several recent PC titles) and no Linux support at launch. Technical performance complaints have been widespread across the first 48 hours.
Day-One Patch Details
Arc System Works shipped a day-one patch addressing a broad list of PC-specific issues. The fixes cover:
CPU performance optimisation
DLSS, FSR, and XeSS upscaling integration
Shader warmup improvements
OBS and Discord overlay compatibility fixes
PS5 controller input lag reduction
Online match delay improvements
→↓↘ (quarter-circle) motion input correction
Ground dash cancel timing fix
Multi-monitor display handling
Invisible players in ranked mode fix
Performance improvements when accessibility large text is enabled
The breadth of this list suggests many of these were known before ship. The patch is live now.
Announce Trailer
If you’re already in, the patch is live and should address most of the performance issues. If you’re on the fence — Arc System Works fighting games typically find their footing after the first patch cycle. The X-Men roster and Tōkon system have enough to work with; the question is whether the PC issues get resolved fast enough to hold the playerbase.
Arc System Works’ MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls hits PS5 and PC at 11 PM SGT this Wednesday, 6 August — and there is more to this launch than the roster we have been covering for months. When we confirmed the SGD pricing and full roster back in June, the game looked like a tight 4v4 tag fighter. What the official launch trailer and this week’s reveals actually show is a title with considerably more in the box.
Image courtesy of Arc System Works / Marvel Games
Arcadia Rumble — There Is a Party Game Hidden Inside MARVEL Tōkon
The biggest news from the days leading up to launch is Arcadia Rumble, a separate party mode Arc System Works detailed on 3 August. It is a direct evolution of Grand Bruise Legends from Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising — if you loved that mode, you already know the shape of it.
Up to eight players compete in chibi-avatar form across battle maps in a beat-em-up format, racing to control zones, collect Fighter Souls, and stack stars. Matches integrate versus battles where levelling your Fighter Soul shifts the advantage mid-game. It supports offline CPU play and full online lobbies with leaderboard rankings. It is genuinely chaotic, and for a group of four to eight friends it could easily become the reason the game stays in the rotation long after the initial ranked grind.
Image courtesy of Arc System Works / Marvel Games
Watch the Official Launch Trailer
MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls | Launch Trailer — via MARVEL Tokon: Fighting Souls on YouTube
The launch trailer dropped 31 July on the official channel and is the clearest showcase yet of the full mode suite. Beyond the 4v4 tag battles, it confirms Episode Mode — five original stories presented as motion comics illustrated by celebrated Marvel artists, fully voiced in 10 languages — plus All-Star Arena, Training Mode, and the online suite of Ranked, Casual, Room Matches, and Battle Arcadia.
Image courtesy of Arc System Works / Marvel Games
20 Characters, DLC Already Confirmed
The launch roster holds at 20 characters: Spider-Man, Wolverine, Storm, Magik, Danger, Iron Man, Doctor Doom, Captain America, Black Panther (Shuri), Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan), Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes), Hulk, Star-Lord, Green Goblin, Carnage, Loki, Blade, Deadpool, and the two remaining slots confirmed since announcement. The game’s first DLC wave, Phoenix and Cyclops, was confirmed by ArcSys in July for a Fall 2026 drop — as we covered when the DLC was announced alongside the Sanzigen opening movie.
Image courtesy of Arc System Works / Marvel Games
Singapore Access and Editions
The game is available digitally on PS5 (PlayStation Store SG) and PC (Steam and Epic Games Store). SGD pricing is confirmed across Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate Editions — check that post for the exact figures and what each tier includes. Physical copies were confirmed for PS5; if you are picking up a disc, note that some physical copies have begun appearing in select markets ahead of the official launch date, so the street date is not rock-solid. The digital unlock on 6 August at 11 PM SGT is the safe play for anyone who wants to jump in on day one without guessing at shelf stock.
Arc System Works used its San Diego Comic-Con panel to deliver two pieces of post-launch news for MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls ahead of the game’s August 6 global release: the Year 1 DLC lineup kicks off with Phoenix Cyclops, and the game’s opening movie — crafted by Tokyo animation studio Sanzigen — is already live. Both are worth your attention before you decide whether to pick up the base game or hold out for the Ultimate Edition.
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls – Official Phoenix Cyclops DLC Trailer | Comic Con 2026 — via IGN on YouTube
Meet Phoenix Cyclops, the First MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls DLC Character
Image courtesy of Arc System Works
This is not the Cyclops you know from the Saturday morning cartoons. Phoenix Cyclops draws directly from the Avengers vs. X-Men storyline, where Scott Summers was one of the Phoenix Five — five mutants briefly granted a portion of the Phoenix Force in a last-ditch bid to save their species. In MARVEL Tōkon he fights accordingly: optic blasts supplemented by Phoenix Force telekinesis, cosmic fire manipulation, and the kind of ruthless conviction that made him one of Marvel’s most compelling anti-villains. Storm’s warning in the reveal trailer — that someone needs to stop him “before he turns everything to ash” — sets the tone perfectly.
Ray Chase, who voiced Cyclops in the X-Men ’97 animated series, reprises the role here. Phoenix Cyclops arrives this fall as part of the Year 1 Character & Stage Pass, which bundles four post-launch fighters, one new stage, and a set of result-screen character poses. Three of those four slots are still unannounced — expect Arc System Works to reveal them over the coming months leading up to, and after, launch.
Singapore players on PS5 and PC are in the global August 6 release window. (New Zealand, Australia, Japan and South Korea are on a one-day offset, releasing August 7 — so you’ll actually have the game a day before your friends across the water in Tokyo.)
Studio Sanzigen’s Opening Movie Channels Early 2000s Anime Energy
MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls | Opening Movie — via MARVEL Tokon: Fighting Souls on YouTube
Arc System Works’ decision to commission Studio Sanzigen for the opening movie is no accident. The studio’s credits include the Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers anime and the Initial D Legend film trilogy — exactly the pedigree you want when the brief is to blend the intensity of classic fighting game intros with the spirit of anime openings that hit differently at 2am on a school night.
The opening theme, titled “Stronger as One”, features Keiko Terada of veteran Japanese heavy-metal act SHOW-YA alongside Mayu of rising act NEMOPHILA on vocals, with composition and arrangement by MEG (MEGMETAL) and direction by Sanzigen’s Daisuke Suzuki. If you are old enough to remember when fighting game intros were a genuine art form — think King of Fighters, early Guilty Gear — this hits that exact nostalgia register while still feeling fresh.
Ultimate Edition, Year 1 Pass and a Free Wolverine Crossover Costume
Image courtesy of Arc System Works
If you want everything on day one, the Ultimate Edition includes the base game, the Year 1 Character & Stage Pass, five classic character costumes (Spider-Man Advanced Suit 2.0, Storm Punk Rock, Iron Man Classic, Captain America Classic, and Doctor Doom Supreme Ruler), Howard the Duck and Cosmo lobby cosmetics, plus an animated Chromatic Color Unlock for all 20 launch characters. Pre-orders additionally bundle the Infinity Gauntlet lobby equipment, Cosmic Surfboard ride, and Baby Groot lobby pet.
One extra detail tucked into the SDCC reveal: the Battle Reborn Wolverine alternate costume, an original design co-created by Insomniac Games and Marvel Games as a crossover with the upcoming Marvel’s Wolverine PS5 title. It is available to owners of the base game.
Image courtesy of Arc System Works / Marvel Games
The open beta that ran July 24–26 gave Singapore players their first hands-on with the base roster. If you liked what you tried, the SDCC news makes a strong case for upgrading to the Ultimate Edition before August 6 — four mystery DLC fighters, the Sanzigen opening stamping the tone before the title screen, and a Wolverine design that ties the two biggest Marvel games of the year together. Check out more game news for the latest on the lead-up to launch.
The wait is over. The MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls open beta went live at 3:00 PM SGT today (24 July) and runs until Sunday 27 July at 2:59 PM SGT. Download it free right now on PS5, Steam, or the Epic Games Store — no PlayStation Plus subscription required. As we covered when the beta was announced, this is your first hands-on look at the upcoming 4v4 tag-team fighter from PlayStation Studios and Arc System Works — and with 15 of the game’s 20 launch characters playable and a story episode included, there is a lot to dig into before the 6 August release.
Image courtesy of Marvel / PlayStation Studios / Arc System WorksMarvel Tokon: Fighting Souls — Official Open Beta Trailer via IGN on YouTube
What Is in the MARVEL Tōkon Open Beta
The beta delivers a generous slice of the full game. Fifteen playable characters are split across four squads, six stages span Marvel locations from NYC to the Savage Land, and you get both online and offline play. Modes on offer include ranked and casual online lobbies, a local versus mode, training mode, a tutorial (Start Up Battle), the social Open Lobby, and three chapters of Episode Mode following the Amazing Guardians. The full launch roster expands to 20 fighters when the game arrives on 6 August.
Full Beta Roster — All 15 Characters Across Four Squads
Each squad has a distinct team identity and visual DNA, which also drives how they combo and assist in the 4v4 tag system:
Fighting Avengers: Captain America, Iron Man, Black Panther
Image courtesy of Marvel / PlayStation Studios / Arc System Works
One fighter worth highlighting: Blade makes his fighting-game debut in Tōkon. The Samurai Outriders squad pairs him with Ghost Rider, leaning into the dark-supernatural aesthetic that Arc System Works has rendered in their signature cel-shaded style. His moveset is built around speed and relentless pressure, and this beta is your first chance to take him out for a spin in a competitive setting.
Episode Mode: The Amazing Guardians Story
Beyond versus play, the beta includes three story chapters following Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, Star-Lord, and Peni Parker. It is a useful way to learn each character’s rhythm through light narrative framing before the ranked queue opens. Progress and unlocks do not carry over to the full game, so treat it as a preview.
Image courtesy of Marvel / PlayStation Studios / Arc System Works
How to Download the Beta in Singapore
No registration is needed. Two hours before launch, a pre-download goes live on each platform:
PS5: Open the PlayStation Store, search for MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and grab the free Open Beta download. A PSN account is required but PS Plus is not.
PC (Steam): Head to the Steam store page and download the Open Beta build for free.
PC (Epic Games Store): Search for the title and download directly from EGS at no cost.
Cross-play between PS5 and PC is supported out of the box. The game ships with full Japanese and Korean voice tracks alongside English, and text is localised in 17 languages. The servers close at 27 July 2:59 PM SGT — after that the client goes offline until the full launch.
Image courtesy of Marvel / PlayStation Studios / Arc System Works
Full Launch on 6 August 2026
MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls launches on 6 August 2026 on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. The five remaining launch characters beyond the beta’s 15 are yet to be revealed by PlayStation Studios. A physical disc edition is confirmed for PS5. Catch the latest game news and releases across our Game News section as more roster details drop ahead of launch.
Arc System Works and Marvel Games are handing Singapore players a free weekend pass to one of 2026’s most-anticipated fighting games. MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls launches its open beta on Thursday 24 July at 3:00 PM SGT, letting PS5 and PC players try the 4v4 tag-team brawler at no cost before its August 6 release — and you don’t need a PlayStation Plus subscription to get in.
No Sign-Up, No PS Plus — Just Download and Play
Getting into the beta couldn’t be simpler. No registration code, no waitlist, no PlayStation Plus membership required — just head to the PlayStation Store or Steam (and Epic Games Store), download the open beta client, and start playing from 24 July. All you need is an internet connection and a PlayStation Network account. Pre-downloads open two hours before the beta goes live, so queue it up on Wednesday evening and you’ll be ready the moment the gates open at 3 PM SGT.
The open beta runs for a clean 72 hours, closing at approximately 3:00 PM SGT on Monday 27 July, giving Singapore players a full weekend plus a Monday afternoon to clock in some hours before the full game ships.
MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls | Open Beta Trailer — via MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls on YouTube
What’s Included: 15 Characters, Episode Mode, and Full Online
Image courtesy of Marvel Games / Arc System Works
The open beta is generous: 15 of the 20 launch characters are playable, spanning all four announced teams. The headline addition is Blade, who becomes playable for the very first time outside of closed testing, appearing alongside Ghost Rider in the Samurai Outriders faction. The full beta roster breaks down as:
Fighting Avengers: Captain America, Iron Man, Black Panther
Beyond the roster, the open beta opens up a surprising amount of content for a pre-release trial. Episode Mode unlocks the first three chapters of the Amazing Guardians storyline, giving players a taste of the game’s story campaign as Spider-Man assembles his team. For competitive players, Online Casual and Ranked Matches are live, along with a full Open Lobby that supports up to 16 avatars with social features. Training Mode, local Versus, and the Start Up Battle tutorial round out the package — six stages across iconic Marvel locations are included too.
Singapore Schedule — When to Queue Up
Image courtesy of Marvel Games / Arc System Works
Convert from Pacific Time and the beta lands squarely over the Singapore weekend:
Opens: Thursday 24 July, 3:00 PM SGT
Closes: Monday 27 July, ~3:00 PM SGT
That covers the full weekend from Thursday afternoon through to Monday — prime time for ranked sessions, local couch battles, and grinding through Episode Mode between matches. Rollback netcode is confirmed for online play, which should keep the experience clean for SEA players connecting to regional servers.
The Full Roster Awaits at Launch — August 6
Image courtesy of Marvel Games / Arc System Works
The five missing characters from the open beta fill out the fifth team at launch on 6 August 2026 (7 August in Japan and Australia). Singapore pricing was confirmed at SGD 79.90 for the Standard Edition, SGD 113.90 for Digital Deluxe, and SGD 139 for the Ultimate Edition. Deluxe and Ultimate editions include the Year 1 pass covering post-launch fighters and content.
How to Download the Open Beta
Image courtesy of Marvel Games / Arc System Works
PS5: Search “MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls Open Beta” on the PlayStation Store
PC (Epic Games Store): Search for the open beta on the Epic Games Store
Pre-downloads go live two hours before start time — mark your calendar for Thursday 24 July and queue the download by early afternoon SGT. For the full character roster, SGD pricing, and story details, read our earlier coverage from the EVO 2026 reveal. Browse more game news on GameTrader.SG.
Arc System Works dropped a genuine surprise at EVO 2026 in Las Vegas on Saturday: Trinity Glassfille, one of the most iconic never-playable figures in the BlazBlue universe, is finally joining BlazBlue: Central Fiction as a fully playable DLC character. She is the game’s first new fighter in nine years — and for anyone who has followed this anime fighter since its arcade days, that announcement landed like a gut punch in the best possible way.
BLAZBLUE CENTRALFICTION – Trinity Glassfille Character Reveal — via Arc System Works America on YouTube
Who Is Trinity Glassfille?
Image courtesy of Arc System Works
Trinity Glassfille has been woven into the BlazBlue story since the very first game, Calamity Trigger. As one of the legendary Six Heroes — the warriors who ended the Dark War a century before the main timeline — she carries enormous lore weight. Trained at the Mage’s Guile, she developed formidable expertise in both sorcery and alchemy, and her defining trait is a compassion so deep she has always found it impossible to view even enemies without empathy.
Despite that, she was never selectable in any game in the series. She existed in story mode, dialogue, and cutscenes, but never under your thumbs in a match. Arc System Works confirmed the change in a brief but electrifying reveal at EVO 2026, dropping a new character illustration drawn by series creator Toshimichi Mori. Per the official statement, as reported by Gematsu: “Trinity Glassfille, a key character who has appeared since the early stages of the BlazBlue story, will finally be joining the roster as a playable character.”
Nine Years Since the Last New Fighter
Image courtesy of Arc System Works
The last DLC character added to Central Fiction was Jubei in 2017 — also a fan-demanded, long-teased figure. That was nine years ago. The game released its final update and went quiet, and for a stretch it looked like the roster was permanently closed.
What kept the community alive was Arc System Works’ rollback netcode update, which gave Central Fiction a genuine second life online. Competitive scenes across Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia kept the game going, with Singapore players among those running sets and local events long after the game’s commercial window had closed. The EVO 2026 bracket for Central Fiction this weekend drew some of the sharpest entrants in years. Producer Riku Ozawa acknowledged the gap in the pre-announcement tease, noting it had “been many years since this game released” and crediting fan support for making new character development possible at all.
What to Expect From Her Moveset
Image courtesy of Arc System Works
No gameplay footage has been shown — Ozawa was upfront that development only recently got underway. But Trinity’s character background offers strong hints. Her mastery of sorcery and alchemy, combined with a personality that avoids direct confrontation, points toward a zoner archetype: a fighter who controls space from range, deploys projectiles, and punishes opponents who rush in. Central Fiction‘s existing cast leans heavily toward rushdown and pressure characters, so a clean zoner would fill a meaningful gap in the meta.
The DLC will be released on PlayStation 4 and PC (Steam) — the same platforms that received the rollback netcode update. No PS5 native version, no Switch port, and no Xbox version have been announced. No release window or pricing has been set, and a proper gameplay reveal is expected at a future Arc System Works event.
A Big EVO Weekend for Arc System Works
Trinity’s announcement is the headline item in a busy EVO 2026 showing for the studio. Robo-Ky lands in Guilty Gear -Strive- on July 2, Zohar was confirmed for Under Night In-Birth II, and Id DLC plus a Switch 2 port were revealed for Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising. Across the whole weekend, Arc System Works has made it clear they are not slowing down — and bringing Central Fiction back into the conversation after nine years of silence is exactly the kind of moment that reminds you why the FGC keeps showing up. For Singapore fans who stuck with the game through the post-launch years, that makes the wait feel worth it.
Stay up to date with more fighting game and game news coverage here on GameTrader.
A new Marvel fighting game is six weeks away — and it is not who you might expect behind it. Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, developed by Arc System Works and published by PlayStation, launches on August 6, 2026 on PS5 and PC. EVO 2026 this weekend served as the game’s biggest showcase yet, revealing Magneto’s full movelist and hosting a pre-release community tournament.
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls – Official Announce Trailer — via PlayStation on YouTube
What Is Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls?
This is Arc System Works — the studio behind Guilty Gear -STRIVE- and Dragon Ball FighterZ — applying their signature high-quality anime-fighter DNA to the Marvel universe. The result is a 2D fighting game with a comic-book art style that blends American superhero aesthetics with Japanese manga linework. Rather than licensing a generic Marvel brawler, the two companies built an original storyline around a new threat menacing Earth, with the characters and roster structured around thematic teams.
The game was announced earlier this year via a PlayStation State of Play, where producer Takeshi Yamanaka presented the debut trailer and the game’s first roster details on the PlayStation Blog.
Image courtesy of Arc System Works / Marvel
The Roster — Two Teams Confirmed, One More Coming
Characters in Marvel Tōkon are grouped into named teams, each with its own narrative role in the story. Two teams are fully revealed:
The Unbreakable X-Men — the game’s hero-side starting lineup. Many of the X-Men’s core members are out of action following a recent battle, so a reformed team steps up: Storm (the squad leader, controlling wind and lightning), Magik (wielding her Soulsword and mutant sorcery), Wolverine (battle-scarred but very much unbroken), and Danger (the Danger Room’s AI, who gained autonomy and a physical body). It is an unusual mix of classic and deeper-cut X-Men that suggests ArcSys went carefully into the comics when building the story.
The Knights of Doom — the villain team and the mirror to the X-Men. Confirmed: Magneto, Doctor Doom, Carnage, and Green Goblin. Each is a powerhouse, and the pairing of Doom and Magneto in particular has FGC players very interested in how their team dynamic plays out in-story.
A third team built around Ghost Rider is confirmed but still has three unannounced fighters remaining.
Image courtesy of Arc System Works / Marvel
Magneto at EVO 2026 — How He Plays
At EVO 2026 this weekend, Arc System Works and PlayStation shared Magneto’s complete movelist alongside competitive pre-release match footage. According to the official movelist card and gameplay shown at the event, Magneto plays as a heavy technical zoner — a big, hard-hitting character who also has significant ranged control:
Magnetic Blast — a core projectile, usable in the air
Gravity Bind — a grounded ranged tool
Polarity Shift — another aerial-capable skill
Shrapnel Spike — sets up debris in the air
Metallic Meteor (Unique Ability) — his signature tool for powering up his skills and charged attacks
Magnetic Maelstrom (Super Skill, 50 gauge) — usable in the air
Magnetic Retribution (Ultimate Skill, 100 gauge)
Tōkon Assemble (150 gauge) — a comeback mechanic available only when one round away from losing
In action during the EVO pre-release tournament, Magneto proved capable of grabbing opponents across the screen with magnetic debris and dragging them into combos — the kind of screen-controlling game that will appeal to players coming from the Sentinel or Dormammu school of Marvel fighters.
Image courtesy of Arc System Works / Marvel
Episode Mode — An Original Marvel Story
Beyond the versus mode, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls includes an Episode Mode with a fully original narrative written in collaboration with a writer from the original Marvel Comics. The story is told through motion comics — a format that blends the look of American comics with Japanese manga panel flow — and centres on a new, unnamed threat closing in on Earth and the opposing hero and villain factions scrambling to respond. ArcSys described the collaboration as crafting a world and story built specifically for this game, not an adaptation of an existing arc.
PS5 and PC — What Singapore Players Need to Know
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls is a PS5 and PC exclusive — no Switch, no Xbox. For Singapore, that is a straightforward availability picture: the PS5 is widely stocked at local game retailers, and the PC version will be on Steam. The game launches globally on August 6, 2026. No Singapore-specific pre-order bonus or separate SEA pricing has been announced as of this writing; expect standard PlayStation Store and Steam pricing to apply.
With ArcSys behind the wheel and EVO 2026 generating strong early community interest, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls is shaping up as one of the bigger PS5 releases of the second half of 2026 for Singapore fighting game fans.
Arc System Works handed Singapore’s fighting game community an EVO 2026 weekend surprise: Robo-Ky is coming to Guilty Gear -STRIVE- on July 2, 2026, and he plays nothing like the Ky Kiske he was built to imitate.
GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- Season Pass 5 Playable Character #2 [Robo-Ky] Trailer — via Arc System Works America on YouTube
Who Is Robo-Ky?
Robo-Ky is a mechanical replica of Ky Kiske, originally created by the Post-War Administration Bureau and a series veteran going back to Guilty Gear XX. The visual callback is deliberate — the blonde hair, the long coat — but Arc System Works made clear that his personality in -STRIVE- is entirely his own, and more importantly, so is his fighting style. Where Ky channels holy lightning into a disciplined, well-rounded game, Robo-Ky runs on gadgetry, unpredictability, and mechanical chaos.
Image courtesy of Arc System Works
What Robo-Ky Brings to the Fight
The gameplay trailer — shown publicly for the first time at EVO 2026 this weekend — lays out a kit built around making every inch of the screen feel dangerous. Three things define him:
Movement that hits back — Robo-Ky’s mobility options are unconventional, and the sting is that they double as attacks. Approaching him carelessly, or trying to read a dash, means eating damage.
Traps and projectile layering — He can plant traps on screen that interact with his projectile tools, building pressure that compounds. Getting cornered by a Robo-Ky who has set his board up is a messy situation to escape.
The Ora-Ora-Ora super — The moment everyone’s screenshotting: a series of mechanical arms extends from his body and unleashes a rapid-fire flurry of punches. It is exactly as ridiculous as it sounds, and the community is already loving it.
Image courtesy of Arc System Works
Season 5 — Where Things Stand
Robo-Ky is Season Pass 5 Character #2, following Jam Kuradoberi who was recently added to the roster. Two more unnamed characters are still to come in Season 5, with identities unannounced. The July 2 update that brings Robo-Ky also adds Blazing Pass Duel 2: Ennui Protocol, continuing the game’s story mode content, alongside new cosmetics. If you hold Season Pass 5, Robo-Ky unlocks automatically on day one; he is also available as a standalone DLC purchase.
Image courtesy of Arc System Works
Singapore FGC — Mark July 2
Guilty Gear -STRIVE- has consistent representation in Singapore’s local fighting game circuit, from casuals at game cafes to ranked grinders on Steam. Robo-Ky lands on July 2 across all platforms where -STRIVE- is supported. With EVO 2026 wrapping its finals today and the FGC hype running high, the timing of this reveal is no accident — expect Singapore players to be lab-ing Robo-Ky traps by the end of the week.
For other fighting game news from this weekend’s EVO, check our recent coverage.
Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes is getting its fourth DLC character this summer: Zohar, the claw-wielding fighter known as the Doppelganger. Developer French-Bread and publisher Arc System Works dropped the reveal trailer at EVO 2026, and alongside the character announcement comes a substantial update that rewrites several of the game’s competitive fundamentals.
Who Is Zohar?
Zohar is described in the official announcement as one of the founding members of the Bankikai — the organisation she helped build alongside Ogre and Strix. Her title, the Doppelganger, hints at some form of imitation or transformation ability, though Arc System Works hasn’t yet revealed her full fighting style. She is voiced by Aiko Okubo.
The reveal trailer is deliberately light on gameplay — a menacing close-up, a claw strike, and her character title card with the tagline “Claws encroaching unseen.” Full moveset details are scheduled to arrive before her summer release window.
A Major Competitive Update Lands With Her
Image courtesy of Arc System Works / French-Bread
The character reveal is only part of the story. The update arriving this summer brings sweeping changes across the game:
Balance overhaul: A broad review of combo damage and gauge gain to curb power creep, plus revisions to the Steer Ender and Throw Escape mechanics and adjustments to powerful moves across the roster.
Ranked system for high-level play: High-ranked matches will now see Rating Points fluctuate alongside traditional RIP, with a dedicated ranking leaderboard added for serious competitors.
Improved training tools: Frame data now displays opponent information and gap frames in sequences. Frame data is also viewable in Replay Mode — a feature the competitive community has requested for a long time.
Mission Mode upgrade: Players can now review their previous play within Mission Mode.
The stated goal of reducing power creep positions this as a proper competitive reset, not a light patch. Players who have found certain combo routes or mechanics dominant should expect a meaningfully different meta after the update lands.
Watch the Zohar Reveal Trailer
[UNI2]Zohar Reveal Trailer — via arcsystemworks on YouTube
UNIB II in Singapore’s FGC
Image courtesy of Arc System Works / French-Bread
Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes is available on PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. The game occupies a distinct corner of the anime fighter ecosystem — its deliberate neutral pacing and EXS gauge mechanics attract players who want more strategic depth than the faster-paced alternatives. Singapore’s FGC has a consistent UNIB presence at local brackets and online events.
Zohar is the fourth DLC slot. The Bankikai lore — with Ogre and Strix named alongside her — leaves room for more additions, though nothing beyond Zohar has been announced. Follow GameTrader game news for the full moveset reveal and a confirmed release date as we get closer to summer.
