Japanese developer KAYAC has announced that their 1v1 fighting game Ketsu Battler will be getting an official tournament, hosted by none other than the Cygames-sponsored esports event GBVS Cygames Cup 2026. The game’s publisher CoroCoro Comic proudly calls this the “first-ever butt esports tournament in human history.”
Ketsu Battler, which translates literally to “Butt Battler,” is a viral 2D fighting game initially released in December 2024 for the Nintendo Switch. As the title implies, the game’s biggest draw is that you don’t have to use your hands to play it. Opposing characters (including samurai, ninjas and gorillas) clash in swordfights, but they face each other butt-to-butt, wielding their swords and lances using nothing but the grip of their “cheeks.” Much like the controlled characters, players also have to use their actual butts in order to play. Ketsu Battler is played by affixing a Joy-Con to your butt and essentially twerking like mad – which translates into swings of your character’s sword.
But how did this butt-joke game make it into one of Japan’s biggest domestic esports tournaments? According to a press release, the staff running Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising (GBVSR) were impressed to discover that Ketsu Battler’s gameplay was “deeper and more intense” than what they’d imagined, growing captivated by the title. The tournament will be held on January 18, pitting up to 128 players against each other in a single-elimination, best-of-three format (with best-of-five matches for the top four). This might be one of the rare esports tournaments where it will be just as entertaining (if not more) to watch what’s going on in real life than on-screen.
Ketsu Battler is available for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.
