Summary
- Arc System Works collaborated with CD Projekt RED to add the first guest character, Lucy, in Guilty Gear Strive's season 4.
- ArcSys originally planned to add Ciri from The Witcher, though the team shifted its focus to Lucy from Cyberpunk Edgerunners.
- Despite initially mixed reactions, Lucy's addition has been exciting for the studio, with the team open to future collaborations.
Guilty Gear Strive producer Ken Miyauchi reveals that Arc System Works originally worked with CD Projekt RED to bring a different character into the game. With its fourth season of post-launch content currently ongoing, Guilty Gear Strive continues to be one of the more popular entries in the long-running franchise.
Season 4 of Guilty Gear Strive proved to be the most surprising as Arc System Works. Featuring a mix of returning and new characters, the EVO 2024 trailer also confirmed that Lucy from Cyberpunk Edgerunners was Guilty Gear's first guest character. Although she's still a ways off, with an expected Summer 2025 release, her initial reveal was met with a mixed reaction, with some fans curious to see how she'll play, with others being disappointed she'll be taking a spot away from other highly requested characters.
In a recent interview with Dexerto, Guilty Gear Strive producer, Ken Miyauchi discussed how Arc System Works ultimately decided on Lucy, and why she was the choice to be the franchise's first guest character. Miyauchi admits that the team had been attempting to bring in a guest character since Guilty Gear Strive's second season and that CD Projekt RED was the first studio they reached out to. CDPR responded quickly to the idea of teaming up, though
Guilty Gear Strive Nearly Added a Witcher Character Instead
Strive's lead artist, Sakamura Hidehiko, was a big Witcher fan, so the idea was to ultimately add Ciri to the roster. Through ongoing discussions, plans ultimately shifted, and the focus was then placed on the popular Cyberpunk Edgerunners Netflix series. Although Lucy may not be as combat-intensive as some of the other characters in that series, Miyauchi confirms that the team has been "having a blast" bringing her to life and that the studio is open to more collaborations in the future.
Even as the wait for Unika and Lucy continues, fans can get their hands on Guilty Gear Strive's take on Venom. The legacy character was just added to the main roster through the Season 4 pass, joining Dizzy, who was previously released back in 2024. Venom retains much of his traditional moveset, themed around billiards and using a pool cue-type weapon, though for Strive, he is now joined by Robo-Ky and can even utilize it in battle.
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 86 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
- Released
- June 11, 2021
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Arc System Works
- Publisher(s)
- Arc System Works
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS4 & PS5
WHERE TO PLAY
“Guilty Gear -Strive-“ is the latest entry in the critically acclaimed Guilty Gear fighting game franchise. Created by Daisuke Ishiwatari and developed by Arc System Works, “Guilty Gear -Strive-“ upholds the series’ reputation for a high octane soundtrack, groundbreaking hybrid 2D/3D cell-shaded graphics and intense, rewarding gameplay.
Discover the Smell of the Game with Guilty Gear -Strive-! Immerse yourself in new gameplay mechanics designed to be simple and welcoming for fighting game newcomers, yet deep and creative for veterans. Ride the Fire into a heavy metal inspired alternate future full of over-the-top action, style and fun! Blazing!
Head into the final confrontation with That Man, the person responsible for all the destruction and damage to the world and and it's inhabitants. Join Sol Badguy, his rival Ky Kiske, and a total starting roster of 15 unique characters as they face the astonishing conclusion to a story 20 years in the making!
- Franchise
- Guilty Gear
- PC Release Date
- June 11, 2021
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- March 7, 2023
- PS5 Release Date
- June 11, 2021
- Nintendo Switch Release Date
- January 23, 2025
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- How Long To Beat
- 5 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- File Size Xbox Series
- 24 GB (November 2023)
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
