BlazBlue Centralfiction and BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle to support rollback netcode in 2022

Written by. Ryuki Ishii based on the original Japanese article (publication date: 2021-12-06 14:09 JST)

Arc System Works announced that the Steam version of BlazBlue Centralfiction (BBCF) and the PS4/Steam version of BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle (BBTAG) will support rollback netcode in 2022. The “Rollback Public Test” for BBCF will begin on December 6, 3:00 p.m. PST (December 7 8:00 am JST). It will be open to all owners of the Steam version.

Rollback netcode is a technology used to reduce delays in online matches. In conventional delay-based online matches, input delays and lags occur depending on players’ location and the condition of their internet connection. Rollback netcode is an attempt to curtail these issues by treating both players’ inputs as local and predicting the opponent’s next move.

On Steam, rollback netcode is used by fighting games such as MELTY BLOOD: TYPE LUMINA and THE KING OF FIGHTERS 2002 UNLIMITED MATCH. Arc System Works’ GUILTY GEAR XX ACCENT CORE PLUS R (Steam version) and GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- officially supported rollback netcode in December 2020 and in June 2021 respectively. It’s a part of the company’s effort to make the online experience better for players, and it seems like BBCF and BBTAG are following suit.

BBCF and BBTAG are 2D fighting games developed by Arc System Works. BBCF serves as the ending to the Azure Saga and BBTAG is a crossover game that features characters from 4 different series: BlazBlue, Persona, Under Night In-Birth, and RWBY.

Incidentally, the BlazBlue series will go on sale from December 6, 10:00 a.m. to December 13, 9:59 a.m. PST (December 7, 3:00 a.m. to December 14, 2:59 a.m. JST). The Steam versions of BBCF and BBTAG will be 50% off and 75% off respectively. There will also be a bundle of games with rollback netcode support, including GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE-.