Gamers have been compiling clips of the Break Blow moves in Dead or Alive 6, and they’ve come upon a rather startling discovery: Break Blow facecams aren’t available for the roster’s youngest pugilists Marie Rose, Honoka and NICO.

The general consensus is that perhaps it was just the Japanese version, since Famitus uploaded a video on February 21st, 2019 containing all of the game’s Break Blows and it showcased various characters getting hit with super moves and the camera zooming in on their faces during moves where the punch or kick connects with the opponent’s head, but it never zooms in on Marie Rose, Honoka or NICO even when they do take Break Blows to the face. You can check out the compilation below.

On February 23rd, 2019, EventHubs speculated that perhaps this was a mechanic put into place to keep the younger characters – aged between 18 and 19 – from being subjected to the up close Break Blow facecam that Team Ninja introduced with Dead or Alive 6.

The comment section was torn on whether or not it was good to see the girls getting slapped in the face. Some were fine with it, others didn’t like that the mechanic was added in the first place, because why would you buy a game with a bunch of pretty fighters just to see them getting bloodied and dirty while getting hit in the face with close-ups of their discomfort?

Technically, if you’re into ryona, then this is perfect. If you’re not? Well, at least Honoka, Marie Rose, and NICO are spared that fate.

If you were skeptical of this being true, on February 24th, 2019 YouTuber Fredchuckdave uploaded a compilation video confirming what Famitsu already discovered, that the three aforementioned characters don’t get close-ups when they take a heavy load in the face.

As explored in the video above, neither Honoka, Marie Rose, nor NICO are capable of taking close-up shots during Break Blows. The demonstration above was accompanied by another video that was spread around on the Steam forums, where users began discussing why the three characters don’t get their close-ups like the rest of the cast. Some didn’t mind the removal, but other players literally called it censorship, with ANJOGANGSKRRT writing…

“I pointed this as well, as soon as I got my hands on the demo. It’s censorship, simply put. It isn’t a bug, it happens to 3 very specific characters, those being (Honoka, Marie Rose and NiCO). If they’re really 18 and they’re of age, it begs the question, why censor that in the first place. If it’s okay to sexualize these characters, it’s okay to smack them in the face, and other way around as well. I hate these one way streets, because they’re not realistic. Either go all in or don’t do it at all. […]”

Now the highlight of the video below is that it’s from the deluxe demo version of Dead or Alive 6. So it’s possible that in the full version all of the characters have their Break Blow facecams.

You can check out the compilation from KaeTube.

The feature was first introduced last year in June of 2018 when producer and director Yohei Shimbori introduced Dead or Alive 6 to the public.

The Break Blow facecams were not all that well received, and when gamers saw the pretty female fighters getting punched in the face with blood, dirt and sweat flying off their jiggling faces, some people recoiled in disgust, others didn’t care, and a few went straight for the zipper.

This was one of the more controversial implementations of Dead or Alive 6 that didn’t really resonate all that well with long-time fans, who were extra critical of the game when Shimbori was talking about “toning down” the game’s fan-service. Some of the complaints echoed the sentiment that “Dead or Alive 6 isn’t Mortal Kombat”. Shimbori would later clarify that Break Blow facecams can be turned on or off.

But the bigger question is this: if the full version of Dead or Alive 6 does not feature Break Blow facecams for Honoka, Marie Rose, or NICO, would you be okay with this?

The controversial fighting game is due for release on March 1st for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Some gamers are still leery about diving in, waiting for more gameplay and community feedback before committing to a purchase due to the game’s uneven, and oftentimes contradictory promotion leading up to release. We’ll see if Team Ninja addresses the issue with a day one patch when the game does release.

(Thanks for the news tip IIXI)