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Guilty Gear Strive delayed to early 2021 due to COVID-19

Just a few weeks ago, Guilty Gear Strive looked to be on track, but Arc System Works has abruptly changed its mind and delayed it to 2021, citing the logistical effects of COVID-19.

Ozzie Mejia

May 14, 2020 8:40 PM

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Fighting games have taken a big hit this year in the competitive space due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But the pandemic-related hit appears to extend beyond competitive circles and into development as a whole. Late Thursday night, Arc System Works announced that its most anticipated release of 2020 will not make its projected date. Guilty Gear -Strive- is now set to arrive in 2021.

Here's the full message released to the Arc System Works Twitter account (as well as the Guilty Gear website):

This is an abrupt change in direction from just five weeks ago when Arc System Works stated that Strive was on track for its late 2020 release window. While COVID-19 has undoubtedly affected aspects of Strive's development, Thursday's decision undoubtedly comes in the wake of heavy criticism stemming from the recent closed beta. Many in the Guilty Gear community, as well as our own TJ Denzer, observed an ugly UI and several technical hiccups, including more than a few related to the game's online play. And given the importance of online play for fighting games in these COVID-19 times we're living in, it's understandable why Arc System Works would choose to take a step back.

In the meantime, we'll continue to monitor any further news on Gulity Gear Strive. Keep an eye on our 2020 video game release calendar for more on what is set to release later this year.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?