Arc System Works aired its 2026 showcase early this morning — streamed at 06:00 JST and now available in full archive — and it delivered more than anyone was expecting. BlazBlue: Central Fiction is getting its first new playable character in roughly nine years, Guilty Gear -Strive- teased its next DLC fighter Robo-Ky, and a brand-new tactical RPG went up for pre-order today. The Singapore FGC has a very good weekend incoming.
BlazBlue Central Fiction: First New Character in Nine Years
The moment that had FGC timelines erupting: a new playable character is coming to BlazBlue: Central Fiction. BBCF received its last DLC addition — Jubei — roughly nine years ago, and the game has been considered a finished product ever since. Announcing a new character now, out of nowhere, is exactly the kind of surprise EVO weekend is made for.
Arc System Works has not named or shown the character yet. Full details — who it is, what they play like, and presumably a gameplay trailer — are all set for EVO 2026, this Saturday and Sunday, 27–28 June. For Singapore players still running BBCF at locals or keeping an eye on the regional competitive scene, set a reminder: the EVO main stream this weekend is not one to miss.
Guilty Gear -Strive-: Robo-Ky Teaser and New Blazing Pass
On the Guilty Gear -Strive- side, the broadcast opened with a teaser clip for Robo-Ky, the fan-favourite robotic counterpart to Ky Kiske. The full reveal trailer is also reserved for EVO 2026, so Saturday is shaping up to be appointment viewing for anyone invested in ASW’s fighters. GG Strive remains one of the most-played fighting games at local and regional Southeast Asian events, and Robo-Ky has been one of the most-requested returning characters from earlier entries in the series.
Separately, the next Blazing Pass — “Duel 2: Ennui Protocol” — launches on 2 July. It includes Ky’s new weapon skin and a “Country” outfit for Queen Dizzy.
Kamibou no Kurifa — New Tactical RPG, Out 24 September
Beyond the fighting game headlines, Arc System Works and studio Unite Plus announced an entirely new game: 神貌のクリファ (Kamibou no Kurifa). It is a Tactical Counter Timeline RPG set in a version of modern-day Shibuya where supernatural entities known as kai (怪異) are bleeding into reality. Two protagonists — who each carry their own kai — investigate the source of the outbreak.
A teaser trailer is out now (below), and pre-orders opened today on Steam, the PlayStation Store and the Epic Games Store. Physical copies are also available to pre-order from participating retailers from today, with early-purchase bonuses.
Kamibou no Kurifa releases on 24 September 2026 for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Steam and Epic Games Store. SGD pricing is to be confirmed.
Dave the Diver Complete Edition — PS5 and Switch 2 on 8 October
One of the showcase’s cleanest surprises for console players: Dave the Diver Complete Edition is coming to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 on 8 October 2026. It includes the base game plus the DREDGE and Godzilla collaboration DLCs that were sold separately on PC. If you held off on the underwater adventure waiting for a console release, this is the one. SGD pricing and pre-order details have not been confirmed yet.
The Rest of the Showcase
Donutal (ドーナタル) — a Papers, Please-style alien examination game set in the year 2206, where you wake from cryosleep to become Earth’s Star Inspector and judge arriving extraterrestrials through dialogue — showed off a systems trailer. A free demo is already live on Steam. Demons Night Fever, a new strategy RPG helmed by Disgaea series director Sohei Shinkawa, debuted its first gameplay look; the hook is a mechanic called the Servant Abuse System where sacrificing your own allies makes your forces progressively more powerful. It targets 2026 on PS5, Switch and Steam, with a developer panel at Anime Expo on 4 July. Action roguelike Absolum confirmed a Nintendo Switch 2 version, and action adventure DAMON and BABY rolled out Ver 2.00 today, adding the new “Blood Edge Lord’s Trial” mode.
The full showcase archive is on the Arc System Works official site and the arcsystemworks YouTube channel. For more gaming news covering Singapore, keep GameTrader bookmarked.