Granblue Fantasy Versus Gets New Details on Accessibility, PC Version, and More

Jordan Boyd December 16, 2018 9:35 AM EST

Granblue Fantasy director Tetsuya Fukuhara gave some new details about Arc System Works' upcoming fighter Granblue Fantasy Versus.

Following the announcement of Arc System Works’ Granblue Fantasy Versus, Granblue Fantasy (mobile) director Tetsuya Fukuhara commented on many different aspects of the game in an interview with Famitsu. If you’re also interested in the upcoming Granblue Fantasy RPG, Granblue Fantasy Relink, you can check out what Fukuhara-san had to reveal about that as well.

In the interview, Fukuhara-san says that since Granblue is Cygames’ biggest IP, they’re hoping to “energize” the console gaming industry with new releases stemming from the mega-popular mobile title. In return, they hope to introduce the series to a whole bunch of new players.

Since Granblue Fantasy Versus is based on a mobile title, Arc System Works will focus on making the game more accessible to newcomers; it won’t feature heavy combo strings and supers can be executed through the push of a button. However, there will be some deeper mechanics included appealing to the more intense fighting game community. The speed of the fighter will be moderate while juggling and aerial combos can be done in limited situations.

Considering Arc System Works’ experience with Dragon Ball FighterZ, I don’t think hardcore fighting game fans have anything to worry about in terms of depth. Even with simplistic combo mechanics, Arc has proved that they can make an incredibly deep fighting game that’s both accessible and hardcore.

More characters will be announced in the future with varying abilities, making them feel unique from other in-game fighters. Fukuhara-san also commented on the potential of future DLC, saying that it’s something they’re definitely interested in.

For newcomers to the series, the story in Granblue Fantasy Versus will be entirely separate from the main game, but fans of the mobile title can still find enjoyment in it. Additionally, the game will include online support for both ranked and player matches.

Fukuhara-san expressed interest in bringing the title to arcades, saying it’s something that the team is definitely interested and it’s under consideration. In its current state, Granblue Fantasy Versus is about 60 percent complete, with most of the main components being nearly done. Once those are finished, the team plans to focus on the overall quality.

Finally, the team is very interested in launching the game on PC via Steam. For now, their main focus is fleshing out the console version. For more on the Granblue Fantasy series, you can check out some new gameplay from the Platinum Games co-developed action RPG Granblue Fantasy Relink.

Granblue Fantasy Versus will launch sometime in 2019 exclusively on the PS4. As of right now, no official date has been given.