Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2, Arc System Works’ 2017 entry in the long-running anime fighting game franchise, is will get an update on January 20. This isn’t just any old update, though, as it makes one crucial change that will benefit everyone who plays online. The game is finally receiving the much-coveted “rollback” netcode, which should result in smoother multiplayer gameplay.
An update to 2016’s Guilty Gear Xrd Revelator, Xrd Rev 2 introduced a plethora of changes, including new characters, a camera and visual overhaul, and expanded story content, among other things. All important stuff, but notably missing was the one thing Xrd players had been begging for: an update to the game’s not-so-impressive netcode that added rollback support. Only now, some six years later, have players’ cries finally been answered.
ArcSys announced the surprising news on the company’s Japanese site, explaining that players in remote areas will enjoy a more comfortable gaming experience online once the rollback netcode update gets implemented.
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For the uninitiated, rollback netcode is a type of communication used by online multiplayer games. When implemented, it reduces the feeling of in-game latency, meaning inputs seem more responsive no matter where players are located in the world. If you’ve played fighters like Killer Instinct or Mortal Kombat 11—or even other ArcSys games such as Blazblue Cross Tag Battle—then you’ve experienced this smooth online gaming.
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Even though ArcSys has implemented rollback netcode in other Guilty Gear games. The recent Strive launched with it, and in December of 2020, the developer went back and added it to its classic XX Accent Core Plus R. Now it’s doing so for Xrd Rev 2. ArcSys continuing to add rollback to older games is a godsend, especially since fighters require quick inputs and even quicker reactions to respond to attacks. It appears to be on a bit of a roll here.
Kotaku reached out to Arc System Works for clarification on if rollback netcode will come to Xrd Rev 2’s PlayStation versions, but did not receive a response.
Strive is Arc System Works’ latest release in the Guilty Gear series and is relatively popular, selling over one million copies since August 2022. Unfortunately, that popularity has come at a price as hackers began attacking Strive earlier this month, making the game nearly unplayable. The studio is aware of the exploit and is investigating it with “full urgency.”
Correction 01/18/2023 9:45 p.m. ET: Dragon Ball FighterZ has not yet received its announced rollback netcode update.
