Guilty Gear Producer Talks Lucy, Balance Updates & Strive 2.0

Four years since its launch, Guilty Gear Strive continues to dominate the fighting game scene with its groundbreaking final DLC character - Lucy from Cyberpunk 2077 - releasing August 21st as the capstone to Character Pass 4. But the excitement doesn't stop there. During Evo's Strive finals, Arc System Works dropped a bombshell trailer announcing Guilty Gear Strive 2.00 featuring unmistakable silhouettes of franchise favorites Robo-Ky and Jam Kuradoberi joining the roster.

The Future of Guilty Gear Strive

To uncover details about Strive's roadmap, we sat down with Producer Ken Miyauchi at Evo 2025:

Interviewer: During EVO finals, ArcSys revealed Guilty Gear Strive 2.00. What can players expect from this major update?

Ken Miyauchi: While we're keeping specifics under wraps for now, the "2.00" designation signals our commitment to delivering substantial new content. We'll share more details soon about these exciting additions.

Interviewer: The teaser clearly hinted at Robo-Ky and Jam's inclusion. What can you tell us about their development?

Miyauchi: Indeed, we're actively expanding Strive's roster beyond Lucy's imminent release. These two classic characters are currently in development - stay tuned for announcements.

Crossover Combat: Cyberpunk Meets Guilty Gear

Interviewer: Speaking of Lucy, how does her gameplay adapt Cyberpunk elements into Strive's mechanics?

Miyauchi: Her Quickhack ability delivers an authentic Cyberpunk combat experience. This mechanic fundamentally alters how she engages opponents compared to the existing roster. Players familiar with 2077 will recognize the visual language, while fighting fans will appreciate her uniquely disruptive playstyle.

Competitive Evolution

Interviewer: The upcoming ranked mode represents a significant competitive shift. How does it differ from the current Tower system?

Miyauchi: We've implemented a traditional ranked progression system culminating in prestigious Vanquisher tier and elite rating matches. Key quality-of-life features include Wi-Fi indicators and ping-based match vetoing.

Gameplay Rebalancing

Interviewer: The Lucy update includes mechanical adjustments to RISC, Wild Assault, and Guard Crush. What's driving these changes?

Miyauchi: Based on community feedback, we're recalibrating universal mechanics to reduce their dominance while preserving character uniqueness. This creates fairer competitive conditions where matchup knowledge triumphs over systemic advantages.

The Broader ArcSys Landscape

Interviewer: With Marvel Tokon's announcement, does this impact Strive's development resources?

Miyauchi: Unfortunately I'm not at liberty to discuss Marvel Tokon's development. Our teams maintain standard inter-project communication typical of a mid-sized studio.

Looking Forward

Interviewer: Beyond announced features, what's left on Strive's wishlist?

Miyauchi: We've got ambitious plans aligned with community requests. Version 2.00 may reveal some particularly exciting additions.

Interviewer: Any interest in non-fighting game Guilty Gear projects?

Miyauchi: As producer, I'm always interested in expanding the IP's horizons beyond fighting games to welcome new fans. While we've got nothing concrete to announce, exploring different genres remains creatively compelling.

The August update arrives alongside Lucy's debut, marking both an ending and exciting new beginning for Guilty Gear Strive.