I was in the room at Evo 2017 when Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle was revealed to the world, and even two years later there’s still no escape from crossing fate. After the game’s grand finals showing at this year’s tournament, a trailer debuted that revealed it’ll be moving to Version 2.0 and adding nine new characters from multiple franchises later this year along with new story mode content, character interactions, colors, and more. See who’s coming so far here:
Confirming a long held speculation, Senran Kagura will be joining the represented games within BBTag. The popular character Yumi will be a fighter, giving us yet another ice based character though with the added flair of traditional Japanese dance. That covers the expected “sixth fate” teased back when Arcana Heart’s Heart Aino was revealed, but even more surprising was the reveal of a seventh: Akatsuki Blitzkampf.
The doujin fighter already features as a guest in fellow fate Under Night In-Birth via the character Akatsuki, who’s joining BBTag alongside another face from his series. And by face I, of course, mean a skull attached to a giant electric tank. The character Blitztank is massive even next to the game’s other heavies and stands (treads?) as a unique addition to its cast.
The trailer closed out with one more addition, that being the RWBY character Neo Politan. Further RWBY representation has been oft-requested for this game, and Neo Politan fits right in with her bladed parasol and illusions. She’s the last of the newcomers revealed thus far, leaving five more characters to announce.
BBTag’s Version 2.0 arrives on November 21st, with the new characters being available in a pack for $24.99. Anyone who doesn’t pick them up can still enjoy playing with others who do, as a free, major balance patch will update the current cast as well. There’s no telling who’ll show up next, so be on the lookout for more reveals in the coming months.
Written by Ricky Berg
When he isn’t writing for Nintendo Wire, Ricky’s anticipating the next Kirby, Fire Emblem, or if the stars ever align, Mother 3 to be released. Till then he’ll have the warm comfort of Super Smash Bros. to keep him going.
