Rocking will have to wait a little longer
Arc System Works has announced that it is delaying the release of its mega-metal fighter Guilty Gear Strive. The latest entry in the cult series will no longer meet its “late 2020” release date and is now scheduled to arrive in early 2021.
GG Strive producer Takeshi Yamanaka cited a desire to improve the title, based on feedback received from fans after the recent closed beta. Yamanaka also said that the ongoing COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic was causing unforeseen delays in production.
“While our company’s staff and our business partners are putting in a sincere effort in dealing with the changes due to the spread of COVID-19, every aspect of our development schedule has faced delays,” said Yamanaka on Twitter. “In addition, we have decided to set up a schedule to further improve the quality of the game responding to everyone’s help and feedback from the recent closed beta test… We apologize sincerely to everyone who has been anticipating the release with keen excitement. Ourselves, we are dedicated to bringing you a new Guilty Gear game that will satisfy all of our fans.”
The closed beta produced a lot of debate among fans. While many loved Strive‘s beautiful visuals and animation, some were torn on its “stripped-down” gameplay and presentation style. One universally disliked aspect was the game’s baffling lobby system, which will likely be the first thing on the chopping block. I think GG Strive is shaping up to be a great fighter, so hopefully the delay will facilitate the fine-tuning required to make it one of the series’ best entries.
Guilty Gear Strive will launch on PS4 in early 2021.
