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Update 2023, May 2nd

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SYSTEM

To our dismay, life has gotten in the way off getting the finalized IKEMEN build out in a timely manner. Fortunately, it has spurned us to release what we have so far! We have a few more big changes in terms of character reworks and balancing still ahead, but for now, we've got a slew of major system changes. From a new defensive mechanic that combats previously favored aggression to a number of control-related streamlining, we hope the new feel of the game satisfies where it previously felt lacking.

• NEW MECHANIC: “Craze Parry,” which occurs anytime you use a Craze Cancel while being capable of blocking. A safe parry tool that costs 1 Craze Gauge which resets both players if used against any blockable move
  
• Normal ground throws are now rewarded with 50% bonus damage on Dire Counter
  
• Normal air throws now give you a Dire Stack on Dire Counter
  
• All projectiles and traps now dissipate when their user is hit, including being attacked by a Heartbreaker and teching a throw
  
• Increased the length of buffers for non-directional buttons whenever you are in any hurt state (including blocking an attack) to 8 (up from 3)
  
• Changed the input checks for directions for all Normals and Command Normals, which should more accurately read whether or not you’re holding certain directions during chains
  
• Adjusted how the game determines if you’re close enough to your opponent to use proximity normals, most notably when the opponent is airborne, which should make them more common
• Adjusted how health is regained when landing a Heartbreaker, as follows:
  • If your Purple Health is less than or equal to 50, you regain all of your Purple Health back
  • If 40% of your Purple Health is less than 50, you gain 50 health
  • Otherwise, you regain 40% of your Purple Health back as health (down from 50%)
    

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AJIT

In a continued effort to bring older characters in line with newer standards, both Ajit and Sherm have had their basic fireball specials adjusted to remove the quite strong benefits of pushing the opponent outside punish range.

• Removed the pushback from Ajit during “Lion’s Sunspot”
  
• Increased the damage of “Dragon Inferno” to 152 (up from 144)
  
• Adjusted the hit velocity of “Dragon Inferno”

HOTFIX 1.61

• Fixed a bug that caused "Lion's Sunburst" projectiles to destroy the fabric of the universe

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TSUGUMI / ROBO-TSUGUMI

• Adjusted the airborne hit velocity of “You Can't Stop My Approach!”
  
• Changed the way “I'll Overwhelm You Until You Quit!” damage is calculated

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SHERM / EVIL SHERM

While Evil Sherm was always meant to be a bit of a menace, his zoning capabilities were proving to be a bit over-the-top due to the almost insurmountable combination of speed and frequency of his aerial fireball pressure. These fireballs now cannot be thrown out nearly as often, though their power was boosted a bit to keep them useful.

• Increased the recovery time of “Habjouken” by 2 frames
  
• Adjusted the way Sherm moves during “Habjouken” to reduce created space between him and his opponent if used up close
  
• Reduced the damage of SK “Jordan Shermtogeri” to 136 (down from 152)
  
• The distance “Messatsu Flip” travels is now determined by how far away the opponent is
  
• “Messatsu Garbage Grab” will no longer whiff against crouching opponents
  
• “Messatsu Garbage Grab” now has longer recovery on whiff
  
• Changed Sherm’s velocity during “Messatsu Flip-Jouken” and air “Messatsu Habjouken”
  
• Increased the damage of “Messatsu Flip-Jouken” and air “Messatsu Habjouken” to 112 (up from 104)
  
• Changed the hit velocity of “Messatsu Flip-Jouken” and air “Messatsu Habjouken”
  
• Increased the damage of LP “Double Messatsu Habjouken” to 128 (up from 104)
  
• Adjusted the hit velocity of SP “Double Messatsu Habjouken”

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WALLACE

In spite of our hopes, it seems as though this hulking revenant has started to feel the odds being stacked in his favor. Most notable is his use of armor in places where it felt unnecessary, given how the same moves already utilized reach.

• Increased the startup of 5SP to frame 14 (up from 13)
  
• Increased the startup of LP “Friedhofsbeben” to frame 25 (up from 21)
  
• Adjusted the travel velocity of “Turmbrecher”
  
• SK “Turmbrecher” is now -7 on block (down from -3)
  
• Removed the armor properties of “Eisbrecher”
  
• Removed the armor properties of “Friedhofsbeben”
  
• Adjusted the travel velocity of “Maximaler Ubersteuerungsfaktor”

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LA JUSTICIA / LA TIRANIA

The Puerto Rican Superstar is always in the spotlight in a number of ways, including being scrutizied in the patch department. Her Craze Technique in Side-C was seemingly impossible to counter, whereas the frequency of chair usage in Side-L meant always having a method to maintain momentum. Both have been scaled back to keep her performance a little more honest.

• Fixed her normal throws not being announced as Counters, Dire Counters or Punishes
• Reduced the horizontal speed of “Dropkick!”
  
• “Dropkick!” now has longer recovery on whiff
  
• Reduced the damage of “Star Lariat” to 144 (down from 152)
  
• The height of the “Star Lariat” Floor Splat is now influenced by both how high the opponent is from the ground and the distance la justicia has traveled
  
• Increased the cooldown of her trait by 4 times its prior length
  
• Fixed a bug that allowed her to chain LP or LK normals into throws

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BOUNDARY

Things are still slow going for our local vigilante, especially as one of his Sides went missing inexplicably. In the meantime, however, we've gone ahead and given him a new tool to tide him over until the final update hits.

• NEW MOVE: “Sobek Slash,” a command normal where Boundary slides either forward or backwards and strikes with his hook
  
• 2SP is now +1 on hit (up from -4)
  
• 2SP is now -5 on block (up from -10)
  
• Disabled for the time being. Will return in the next update with a full rework.

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BAXTER

Y'know how you usually can't just make a reversal special safe on block because that's like unfair and stuff? Baxter keeps trying to not play by the rules and that's, like, totally uncool, dude.

• Can no longer cancel into “Violet Shot” from “Blue Wave” on block

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CI-CI

Ci-Ci's back, and he's more wild than ever. BioCorps' newest weapon was a bit of a flop in his first outings; Side-C was caught between mediocre zoning and rewarding rushdown that required some awkward setup, and Side-L had vague power depending on the fullness of his fluctuating resource, which was managed by potentially backing out of a fight to pick up randomly dropped water.

Side-S died. He's dead now. He's gone. (But he'll be back.)

With Side-C, we wanted to focus on his puddle creating and usage, while giving him a new identity as a high-flying fish out of water. Side-L is mostly reaping the same quality of life benefits, while additionally gaining a new passive trait that transforms his playstyle into one of unbelievable slickness.

• Ci-Ci’s moves have been mostly recoded across the board, with a substantial amount of changes to damage numbers, hit velocity and advantage
  
• NEW MOVE: “Buoy Bash Swing,” a more straightforward command normal
  
• Added a new Far SK, with the old one retained as his Close SK
• Lowered the backflip velocity of “Cowabunga!” when used to start a combo
  
• Lowered his Health to 925 (down from 1000)
  
• Ci-Ci can now have two puddles present at a time
  
• NEW CRAZE TECHNIQUE: “Sweat Out” has Ci-Ci spawn a puddle on the spot. “Current Rider,” his Craze Technique in the air, functions similarly, but can be followed with an air dash in any direction.
  
• “Super Dash,” “Super Backdash” and “Super Jump” are now used by pressing the Craze Technique input and a direction over a puddle. He can also hold the Craze Technique input during “Sweat Out” to automatically follow up with one of these options
  
• Removed his inexplicable invincibility during “Super Dash” and “Super Backdash” (he will still be throw immune during the first few frames as if he were jumping)
  
• Changed the velocity of “Super Jump,” and allowed for his jump height to be lessened by holding down
  
• Now has access to “Sea Spin” rather than “Weary Waves” and ground “Dunker Diver”
  
• After performing a “Sea Spin” follow-up while the move is empowered, Ci-Ci will drop a puddle
  
• “Dunker Diver” and “Weary Waves” will no longer create a puddle when not empowered
  
• NEW MOVE: “Sailfish Dash,” replaces “Scuba Scuba Scuba!” and is the flying elbow half of the move. The follow-up punches are now performed optionally by pressing Punch again, but Ci-Ci can alternatively follow up with his Craze Technique instead. When a Dire Effect would be triggered, “Scuba Scuba Scuba!” happens automatically
  
• Changed the way “Scuba Scuba Scuba!” and “Shora-Ora-Ora!” damage is calculated
  
• Changed the way “Shora-Ora-Ora!” velocities and hit velocities work
  
• Reworked “Sea Spin” into a special stance move. After using this move, pressing LP performs “Sea Stop,” a quick cancel, while LK performs “Sea Sea Spin,” in which Ci-Ci does another low-profile dash in a chosen direction. SP performs “Dunker Diver” and SK performs “Weary Waves” as normal
  
• Adjusted the velocity of “Dunker Diver”
  
• Can now cancel “Flying Cod Crash” into “Dunker Diver” once he is airborne
  
• REWORKED TRAIT: "Self-Containment" now works off of a scale of flat numbers from 0 to 6 pips, rather than a variable gauge. Using Specials consume 1 pip to enhance various properties, but falling over now causes him to lose some moisture. Additionally, Ci-Ci will now have reduced friction the higher his Moist Gauge is
  
• Lowered his Health to 925 (down from 975)
  
• ADDITIONAL CRAZE TECHNIQUE: “Flood Rider,” similar to Side-C’s “Current Rider,” but Ci-Ci builds up one Moist pip before dashing
  
• “Evaporation Invigoration” can now be used as a followup to “Sea Spin” by pressing LP+LK
  
• SP “Rebreathe Burst” is now Armored when used with at least 3 Moist pips
  
• “Bottom Feeder Blitz” now consumes all of Ci-Ci’s Moist Gauge to enhance the damage for each pip
  
• Disabled for the time being. Will return in the next update with a full rework.

HOTFIX 1.61

• Fixed “Scuba Scuba Scuba!” being +4 if followed into at a precise time

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GOLIATH

• The distance “Lightning Bunker” travels is now determined by how far away the opponent is
  
• The “Thunder Struck” mine is no longer hittable
  
• Cut the lifetime of the “Thunder Struck” mine in half
  
• Reduced the startup of “Rikishi Shogunate” by 5 frames

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NECROSS

Heaven's warrior from beyond the grave has had a troubling time adjusting to being unearthed. Though she's yet to see major changes, know that we've been keeping her balance in our thoughts and prayers.

• Increased the hit velocity of “Cherubim Mimic: Lion”
  
• No longer deals reduced normal throw damage
  
• Adjusted the velocity of the “First Sphere: Ophanim's Call” projectile
  
• Fixed “Second Sphere: Power's Approach” causing errors when interacting with projectiles. The attack now blows through other projectiles

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EMI

• Fixed “Autumn” traveling backwards if the opponent moved behind Emi
  
• Fixed “Cherry Blossom” traveling backwards if the opponent moved behind Emi

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LUCY

• Fixed “Too Bad You Didn't Bring Headphones” having Special move hit properties
  
• “...Might Do This Later” is now Counter Prone instead of Dire Prone

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ISABELLA

• Increased the damage of “Coup de pied Tornade” to 96 (up from 84)
  
• Fixed the “Contre de l'hirondelle” Dire Counter effect not triggering properly
  
• “Stroll in the Wind” is now -3 on block (up from -4)

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TYRANT

We pitched Side-S as an unorthodox grappler. We got a barnstormer of a zoner instead. Whoops.

• Increased the recovery time of “VULCAN BREATH” by 4 frames

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IKUE

Over-Crush had accidentally lost a lot of its strength when some other numbers changed, so it was retooled to be a bit more flexible in this not-as-modern world.

• “Blade Bullet” now has 16 frames of hitstun (up from 12)
  
• Reduced the guardstun of “Rising Dragon” to 12 (down from 24)
  
• “Over-Crush” now has a faster variant if you don’t hold the Craze Technique input
  
• Reduced the vertical height of the “Over-Crush” hitbox
  
• “Rage of the Dragon” is now invulnerable to throws

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TERI

Side-S Teri was being a bit Scary, with the ease of her Trapper loops and the coverage of her Million Cross projectile. Both were toned down, but compensations were added to ease the blow.

• “Trapper” now functions like a normal hitgrab
  
• “Trapper” now consumes up to 5 Feral stacks on hit, increasing the bounce height and damage for each stack consumed
• Increased the Feral stack gain on hitting with LP “Million Cross” to 5 (up from 1)
  
• Reduced the velocity and lifetime of the “Million Cross” projectile

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BERNIE

I apologized to Bernie. We're friends again.

• Armor now activates on frame 10 during “Left Food” (up from frame 1)

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