BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle: Release Date, Characters, News & More

Arc System Works

Picture this – Ragna fighting alongside Hyde to do battle against Yosuke and Ruby.

Anime fighting game fans are frothing at the mouth at the thought of watching that match play out. Arc System Works will make that never before seen match and more like it a reality. BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle will emerge as the ultimate anime fighting game crossover.

Come June, the strongest characters from three of Arc System Works’ most recent fighters will duke it out in team-based battles. And as a bonus, four heroes from the RWBY anime will make an appearance and showcase their powers alongside the rest of the roster.

Get to know everything there is to know about BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle with this complete breakdown.

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle Release Date

Arc System Works

The BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle release date is scheduled for June 5, 2018.

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle Reveal Trailer

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle Platforms

Arc System Works

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle will launch on the following platforms – PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Characters

Arc System Works

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle is a crossover fighter that features a roster comprised of characters from the following games and anime – BlazBlue, Persona 4 Arena, Under Night In-Birth, and the animated web series RWBY. There will be 20 characters available for play at launch, with 20 more characters to follow post-launch as DLC. Besides all the aforementioned franchises getting representation in this fighter, a fifth one is set to receive the same treatment. Refer to the lists below to see what the launch roster will comprise of and which characters will come as a part of future DLC:

Arc System Works

– Ragna the Bloodedge (BlazBlue)
– Jin Kisaragi (BlazBlue)
– Rachel Alucard (BlazBlue)
– Hazama (BlazBlue)
– Noel Vermillion (BlazBlue)
– Azrael (BlazBlue)
– Iron Tager (BlazBlue)
– Makoto Nanaya (BlazBlue)
– ν-No.13- (BlazBlue)
– Es (BlazBlue)
– Hyde (Under Night In-Birth)
– Linne (Under Night In-Birth)
– Waldstein (Under Night In-Birth)
– Gordeau (Under Night In-Birth)
– Yū Narukami (Persona 4 Arena)
– Yōsuke Hanamura (Persona 4 Arena)
– Chie Satonaka (Persona 4 Arena)
– Yukiko Amagi (Persona 4 Arena)
– Ruby Rose (RWBY)
– Weiss Schnee (RWBY)

Arc System Works

– Cross Tag Character Pack #1 (this pack will be available for two weeks as a free download once the game launches): Platinum the Trinity (BlazBlue), Kanji Tatsumi (Persona 4 Arena), and Orie (Under Night In-Birth)
– Cross Tag Character Pack #2 (June 19): Aegis (Persona 4 Arena), Carmine (Under Night In-Birth), and Jūbei (BlazBlue)
– Cross Tag Character Pack #3 (June 19): Hakumen (BlazBlue), Naoto Shirogane (Persona 4 Arena), and Vatista (Under Night In-Birth)
– Cross Tag Character Pack #4 (August 6): Izayoi (BlazBlue), Mitsuru Kirijo (Persona 4 Arena), and Merkava (Under Night In-Birth)
– Cross Tag Character Pack #5 (August 6): Mai Natsume (BlazBlue), Akihiko Sanda (Persona 4 Arena), and Yuzuhira (Under Night In-Birth)
– Cross Tag Character Pack #6 (August 6): Nine The Phantom (BlazBlue), Labyrs (Persona 4 Arena), and Mika (Under Night In-Birth)
– Free DLC (Launch Day & June 19): Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long (RWBY)
– Upcoming 2019 Cross Tag Character Pack (May 21): Naoto Kurogane (BlazBlue), Teddie (Persona 4 Arena), Seth (Under Night In-Birth), and Heart Aino (Arcana Heart)
– Version 2.0 Content Pack 2019 (November 21): Yumi (Senran Kagura Estival Versus), Akatsuki (Akatsuki Blitzkampf), Blitztank (Akatsuki Blitzkampf), Neo Politan (RWBY), plus five other unnannounced characters

Each Cross Tag Character Pack will cost $4.99 individually upon launch. You can choose to get access to all six of them by getting the Cross Tag Character Collection, which costs $19.99.

Modes

Arc System Works

This Arc System Works developed fighter will feature the usual gamut of modes its fighters are known to include. Episode Mode is the game’s mainline story campaign, which focuses on an original plot that sees the characters from all four universes converge in a mysterious singularity known as the “Phantom Field.” Tactics Mode will act as the game’s tutorial. Also on deck are Survival Mode, Training Mode, Gallery Mode, and a Replay Theater.

Gameplay Mechanics

Arc System Works

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle’s fights play out on a 2D plane. Two teams comprised of two characters battle it out until both members of a team are defeated. Both members of a team have their own life bar and are able to be called in for an assist attack or tag in to give their partner a breather. There’s a single button assigned to tagging in another character, while there’s another button used to call upon a Partner Skill (pressing forward or back in tandem with this button activates different teammate maneuvers).

Team-based combos and abilities are done by relying on a meter known as the Cross Gauge. The Cross Gauge is used to activate a Cross Burst – pressing all four attack buttons or a single assigned button calls in your partner to attack and have the other character retreat (this uses 100-percent of the Cross Gauge). The Cross Gauge can also be used to activate a Cross Combo, a powerful two-person assault.

Arc System Works

The Auto-Combo (which is now referred to as a Smart Combo) can be utilized during battle – this special combo occurs when a player quickly taps on either the light or heavy attack buttons. The Heat Gauge (the meter underneath a character that works as a Super Move resource meter) has been renamed the Skill Gauge. Using a single portion of the Skill Gauge activates a Crash Assault – while in the middle of using a Distortion Skill (super special move), you can call in your partner to follow up your super move with one of their own. Distortion Skills can be activated simply by inputting a special movement command and pressing the strong attack and Crash Assault buttons simultaneously.

You’ll be able to throw your opponent, pushblock attacks (known as the Reject Guard) by using half of your Skill Gauge, and employ the use of the Reversal Action. The overhead attack has been labeled the Crash Assault (a strike that’s unblockable when landed upon crouching opponents), which is tied to a single button.

Arc System Works

The Overdrive ability from the BlazBlue series has been renamed the Resonance Blaze – this ability can only be activated after one member of a team has been downed. The surviving partner is granted access to a host of boosts – health regains, the power to refill the Skill and Cross Gauge much quicker, Skills (special moves) can now be canceled into Distortion Skills, and those Distortion Skills become much stronger. Note that the Resonance Blaze can only be called upon once per round.

Trailers

Pre-Order

Arc System Works

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle is available for pre-order through Amazon, GameStop, and Best Buy. The Standard Edition of the game is priced at $49.99. The Digital Deluxe Edition, which comes with the base game and the Cross Tag Character Collection, costs $69.99.

Blazblue Cross Tag Battle Collector's Edition

Arc System Works

A Collector’s Edition for the game is also available. It’s obtainable through Arc System Works and Rooster Teeth’s websites for the price of $99.99. The bonuses that will come with this Collector’s Edition includes a SteelBook Case, a physical soundtrack, an art book, and acrylic standees of Ragna, Ruby, Yu and, Hyde.

Make sure you check out our BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle review.

See Also: