Arc System Works almost ready to give us the long-awaited next entry in the Guilty Gear franchise. Guilty Gear Strive is set to launch this year on April 9, and a lot of players were able to get their hands on the title through a special open beta text which took place this past weekend. Near the end of the beta, the developer decided to let the final cat out of the bag, or in this case out of the witch hat, and reveal the final launch fighter for the game. It’s none other than the guitar rocking queen I-No, a longtime fan favorite of the series who was given a new trailer as well as a sleek new look to boot.
While I-No’s outfit itself has not changed a whole lot, the new art style makes her look like a whole new person. She did obtain some fancy new glasses to add to her style and motif. Of course, the most notable part of I-No’s arsenal is her signature guitar Marlene, and from the looks of things, has been tuned up to a whole new level. I-No is a longtime mainstay from the Guilty Gear series, starting out as a boss character in 2002’s Guilty Gear XX before making her debut as a playable one in later entries. She uses her guitar to wail on her opponents, while also dishing out magical attacks.
I-No will officially be the 15th fighter to join the game, and since she’s the final launch fighter, that makes the final launch roster set with 15 total. While this isn’t a terribly large roster by any means, Arc System Works will undoubtedly be releasing more fighters as DLC, more than likely as season passes which is what all of the fighting game franchises are doing now. Guilty Gear Strive was originally planned to release in 2020 but was delayed to this year due to the worldwide effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Thankfully, it looks like the game is still slated for its new date and we can’t wait to play it.
Guilty Gear Strive will officially launch on April 9, 2021, for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC through Steam.