It’s 2026, and apparently, people are still blaming the beasts. Guilty Gear Strive, nearly at its fifth anniversary, celebrates with its fifth season and a free 2.00 update. Announced during the Arc World Tour 2025-2026 Finals, I got a chance to try out the returning Jam Kuradoberi and look at some of the changes with the patch, like different outfits, new accessories, new moves, and more. I should point out that this update does not include the Nintendo Switch Edition, seemingly leaving Strive on Switch stuck in season four. While overall, this patch and season aren’t going to change the minds of anyone who wasn’t already interested in Strive, the oppressive mechanic Wild Assault has been removed, and Jam is a long-awaited series veteran to be finally included as Arc System Works keeps its promise to bring back all characters to Strive as long as the lore allows it. There’s plenty to discover in Strive’s 2.00, so let’s rock.
The biggest splash made from the Arc World announcement would have to be the inclusion of Jam. The first character in Season five, Jam, is a player favorite for her high-intensity, quick-rushdown kit. She may be a chef holding a rabbit, but if you haven’t learned by now, Guilty Gear’s cast shouldn’t be underestimated. Nicknamed the Iron Fist Chef, this young lady has been unlucky in love and her restaurateur career thus far, often chasing a payday that never seems to come and getting into misadventure along the way. Hailing from China, she is one of the few weaponless characters in the series, practicing potent martial arts that are further enhanced by her Ki. As for what she’s doing in Strive, her third restaurant has burned down, and she is searching for a particular customer who she believes left without paying. Usagi the rabbit travels with her, who ironically may be the answer to both Jam’s mysterious customer and her search for an attractive suitor, if only her recipe hadn’t transformed him into a bunny in the first place!
Jam plays faithfully to how you’d remember as a rushdown queen, and with Strive’s über-aggressive lean, she very well could be right at home in this game, as well. As you might’ve guessed, for her Strive incarnation, she has a unique mechanic called Asanagi no Kokyuu. This provides Jam with cards that power up her Ryuujin, Gekirin, or Ryuutsui specials, and the Super version of this power-up gives her all three. This provides Jam with access to a nearly full-screen, instantaneous wall break, an even more dangerous overhead, or a scarier tool for fishing for hits. This power-up can be deployed safely, though it often means a player will need to decide whether to keep pressure or renew her powered-up state. The 2.0 patch also has some good news across the board for Jam because Close Slash for most characters was toned down, making it even easier for this mix-up character. While one of her weaknesses is her lack of range, her Goushao and Bakushuu let her threaten at any range. If that weren’t enough, Jam is one of the few characters to have access to a parry in the form of her Hochifu, so just because you have her on the defensive doesn’t mean the mind games stop.
Following Jam is Robo-Ky, who you may have thought had already “joined” with Venom. Guilty Gear is sure to explain it, but considering the character is a copy, it isn’t out of the realm for there to be two Robo-Kys if it isn’t just the same Robo-Ky leaving his toaster behind. While we don’t know much at present about this character who traditionally uses unique mechanics, many Strive characters thus far retain some elements while sanding down edges, but at the same time, Arc System Works was able to deliver Asuka R#. Two more characters announced for season five are currently unknown and will arrive in Winter 2026 and Spring 2027, respectively. A new stage, Cradled by the Four Beasts, lands in Strive as well, showing a people supported by a magic-enriched land. Besides that, the season pass includes a Battle UI skin, a Wanted Poster Skin, and additional colors. Robo-Ky arrives in Summer 2026.
As for the 2.00 patch itself, it is also a “reset” of the game, launching with the Guilty Gear Strive 2.0 Starter Edition, which contains most everything so far, including season passes 1 through 5. Strive will also have a battle pass system known as the Blazing Pass, which creates a bit more incentive to queue for another match.
As I mentioned, Wild Assault was removed, and that very announcement prompted the crowd to break into cheers. In an already offensively minded game, Wild Assault was meant to be a defensive mechanic, but was used offensively to no one’s surprise. Counter Blitz seems to be its replacement, allowing characters to break out of counter hits for 50% of the Burst gauge. This does not work after jabs like Punch or Kick, so this is not a “get out of jail free” card. Counter Blitz can trigger wall break as well, so punishing a predictable opponent may completely reverse the course of battle. While balance issues aren’t unheard of in Strive, Arc System Works will need to address Happy Chaos’s new infinite combo as his reign of terror has gone on long enough. Arc System Works has commented on this and will be making adjustments sometime after EVO Japan.
Another addition is a proper ranked mode, which is separate from the floor system. This decision is interesting because, closer to the game’s launch, Arc System Works said they did not want to split the player base. Hindsight shows a much larger player base and greater desire for Guilty Gear, but it’s fascinating to see the change in perspective over the years.
Guilty Gear Strive 2.0 Starter Edition is $89.99, includes the Season 5 Pass, and is available on Steam, PS4/5, and Xbox Series X|S. Guilty Gear Strive Season Pass 5 is available for $24.99
