Fantasy Strike is designed to be so "radically accessible" (without sacrificing depth of strategy) that even non-fighting-gamers can enjoy the genre. It's also a way to unite fighting gamers; when two friends each play a different traditional fighting game, it's tough for them to have a good match in either game, but they can both get up to speed in Fantasy Strike in minutes.

The secret to how Fantasy Strike works as both a deep tournament game for hardcore genre fans as well as an introduction to the genre for newcomers is that both ends of the spectrum benefit from the game’s extreme emphasis on strategy over difficult controls. Both types of players can enjoy its innovations in making fighting games more readable and understandable than ever before, which help everyone make the most informed strategy decisions they can.

These innovations include a unique feature never seen in any fighting game before: a visual display of “frame advantage.” These graphical effects communicate which player will recover first after every hit and in how much time. Fantasy Strike also goes the extra mile to get everyone thinking strategically by including, inside the game itself, in-depth tutorial videos for all ten characters narrated by game director David Sirlin.

Fantasy Strike is now free-to-play on Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Steam for PC, Mac, and Linux.

Alongside this price change, an update enters the ring today that includes two new characters, additional cosmetic items and animations for the entire roster, and a new optional set of subscription features.

A first for free-to-play fighting games, Fantasy Strike now allows players to play ALL characters for free online immediately with no grind-to-unlock. This includes the two new characters, Sirus Quince and General Onimaru, who each add new mechanics to the game. Quince deploys illusions to confuse his opponents and can make these illusions “real” for a limited time by landing his super. Meanwhile, Onimaru uses deliberate, powerful sword strikes that can become unblockable in the right situations.

All Fantasy Strike players can play online in casual and ranked modes and watch the action in spectator mode. Practice mode, solo matches vs. AI opponents, and the daily challenges are also all available for free. Those looking for more can find it in the Core Pack, which provides access to local Versus mode, online matches against friends, Boss Rush mode, Survival mode, and an Arcade mode with beautifully-illustrated narrative sequences. Those looking for a lot more can buy the Collector’s Pack, featuring everything in the Core Pack plus a ton of cosmetics, an exclusive “Party Time” KO effect, and one year of the new Fantasy+ subscription.

Fantasy+ is a new optional subscription service that doubles XP gains, grants access to special Master Costumes for each character who reaches experience level 20, and introduces an extensive new Replay Theater feature. With this, players can rewatch their own matches, search for replays containing specific characters and skill levels, and view an endless stream of replays in the new Ranked TV and Friend TV channels. Players can also adjust the playback speed of replays, scrub through videos, and even frame step for deep analysis.

“We worked tirelessly to find a way to maintain the competitive integrity of Fantasy Strike that our existing players love while opening it up to an even broader audience,” said David Sirlin, game director, Fantasy Strike. “We believe this free-to-play update continues our mission of crafting a fighting game that removes the barrier to being a contender, while also providing excellent value for those who want additional features and to support our work."

The free-to-play update featuring new characters and cosmetic items is now available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Steam for Windows PC, Mac, and Linux. Previous owners across all systems automatically receive access to the Founder's Pack, which includes everything in the Core Pack plus 60 costume color sets (over $100 value if bought separately). The Core Pack is priced at $19.99, while the Collector’s Pack is available for $99.99. A Fantasy+ subscription can be purchased in 1-month, 6-month, and 12-month increments in-game with gems (approximate value of $4.99, $24.99, and $39.99, respectively).

Fantasy Strike offers: an Arcade Mode with illustrated narrative bookends, a Boss Rush Mode that allows players draft their own deck of powerups against progressively powerful opponents, and Ranked Mode with built-on-the-fly tournaments and 3-on-3 team battles designed to offer a variety of matchups while removing the concepts of counter-picks. It also includes four Survival modes, a once-per-day Daily Challenge Mode, and, of course, local and online Versus featuring best-in-class GGPO networking technology for a fast and responsive online experience.

Fantasy Strike is available for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PC/Mac/Linux (Steam).