ArcSystemWorks returns with ARCREVO 2021 this year. The tournament series focuses on Guilty Gear Strive for 2021 and features three separate regions: EMEA, North America and Korea/Japan.
WHAT IS ARCREVO 2021?
Back in 2015, ArcSystemWorks hosted the “Arc Revolution Cup” in Japan. This first event highlighted Japan’s best players in Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- and BlazBlue ChronoPhantasma Extend. Since then ASW held the tournament annually, though with some notable changes each year.
Last year’s ARCREVO 2020 featured Granblue Fantasy Versus and BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle. Due to the pandemic, neither game had an offline final event. While Strive features rollback netcode, neither of last year’s games utilize the technology, limiting the online experience of participants.
ARCREVO 2021 solely spotlights Guilty Gear Strive. Despite carrying the 2021 title, the first event begins in mid-December for USA Central in ARCREVO America.
ARCREVO SCHEDULE
Current information for the EMEA and Asia region competition is limited. However, ARCREVO America already has tournaments listed for USA Central/East/West, Mexico and Canada.
The official tournament website states that online regional winners will have “a chance to compete for a part of a $30,000 prize pool.” The announcement trailer mentions a February 2022 date for both EMEA and Asia Finals while the American Finals are set for March 19, 2022. While Strive’s exceptional netcode allows for online competition on a scale never before seen for fighting games, ASW likely wants to ensure stable results for an official tournament.
STRIVE’S CONTINUED SUCCESS
This year’s ARCREVO competiton focusing on Strive further solidifies the game’s current presence as the most popular anime fighter. Though Melty Blood: Type Lumina’s release rapidly approaches, the hype behind Strive continues to grow.
East Coast offline events showcase the game in the FGC’s natural habitat, while events like Twitch Rivals place it on a high pedestal that few fighting games have seen. As new DLC characters like Jack-O’ and Goldlewis arrive, competitors have more reason to train hard for prize pools at events like ARCREVO.
Though ARCREVO has yet to return to the glory of an international offline event like ARCREVO 2019, the anime fighting game community eagerly awaits the eventual large-scale competition that brings players together. As ASW’s first take at a pseudo world tour format for Strive, the tournaments are sure to bring plenty of new eyes to Guilty Gear within the coming months.
STAY CONNECTED
Featured image courtesy of ArcSystemWorks
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