Hello everyone! Koichi Shibata here, reporting from the Monster Hunter Rise dev floor!

For our next round of Monster Hunter Rise interviews, I will be talking to Moeri Abe, the designer of the Canynes, the new Buddy added in Monster Hunter Rise!

Q1: First off, could you give us a quick explanation of your role on Rise/Sunbreak?

For Rise:
At first, I designed the Canynes and the Wirebugs.

I also made the concepts for Bishaten, Rakna-Kadaki, and Crimson Glow Valstrax.

I designed Palamute armor, came up with Canyne variations for the character editor, created and supervised the modeling of the Canynes, designed weapons and props, and loads of other things!

▼These are some of the equipment designs I have the strongest memories of. Of course the default equipment is the one that was used for a lot of materials, so that’s the one I have the strongest memories of. I had a very hard time creating the Alloy armor…

I like how the Barrioth and Great Baggi design match that of the player’s armor.

▼Here are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I modeled myself. There’s a Palico in there as well, and I remember having some ardent conversations with a veteran designer about how to make the silhouette look cute and cool at the same time, haha.

For Sunbreak:
I was mainly in charge of designing Gaismagorm, and helping out with the supervision of other monster designs. As for the Palamute armor design…I didn’t create them myself, but I had a lot of help from new recruits and other designers.

Q2: What kind of requests and orders did you get from the Director regarding the themes of the Palamute designs?

A2: The most important thing was to create a clear contrast with the Palicoes. Canynes had to look cool, and dog-like, but not resemble a wolf or a monster. An important theme was to make them look like “trusty partners.”

Initially, I was told that they would be Buddies that provide attack support in combat, so I gave them sharp eyes and even scales, so they had quite a few monster-like elements. However, after talking to the designers and the Director, Mr. Ichinose, we gradually started adding more dog-like elements.

▼The idea of Palamutes being your partner/buddy also resulted in some images reminiscent of a falconer and his raptors. Parts of the silhouette that came from those ideas are still present in the current design.

▼At some point we used a thunderbolt pattern as well, to emphasize speed. It seems a bit ostentatious if you look at it now, haha.

▼This is one of the ideas we had once we had decided on a final direction. The picture at the top left looks more like a monster than a friendly partner, right? I recall that, once we had decided on the colors, progress became a lot faster. Theme colors are very important!

One of the keywords for Monster Hunter Rise was “Ninjas,” so we started wondering if we could add some ninja-like elements, and if we should give them a color that creates a nice contrast with the light-brown Palicoes, and that’s how we ended up with the current bluish purple. The main color we ended up actually using is actually a bit brighter than the color we used in the concept art, because we needed to make sure that the equipment didn’t blend in too much with the color of the fur.

We also reduced the chest fur to prevent it from clipping through pieces of equipment.

Q3: Was there anything you were very particular about during production?

A3: I asked one of the our veteran modelers to do the actual modeling for the Canynes, and they paid attention to every little detail I asked for. For instance, I asked them to base the musculature not on a wolf, but on a Saluki, which is a type of hunting dog. On the other hand, since the player is going to spend a lot of time riding it anyway, it shouldn’t be too detailed either, and they found the perfect balance. If you look at it from a distance, the silhouette looks supple, like ‘cheek hair,’ and if you look at it from behind you can see the soles of its paws. We actually made a variety of different designs for the underside of the paws, based on what kind of equipment it’s wearing, so you should try having a look for yourself!

And of course, both the fans and the devs alike were very excited about being able to interact with the Palamute!

Everyone, including Mr. Ichinose the Director, had lots of ideas from the start of development, so when we were finally able to implement it, everyone was super motivated!

I remember talking to a lot of people from a variety of sections, and they didn’t just want to be able to pet it, they wanted to be able to rub its belly as well!

In terms of the combinations of patterns, we wanted to preserve the unique qualities of the Palamute, but we also wanted to be able to recreate various different dog breeds, so I had to work hard with the modelers to figure everything out. Especially the tricolor design was very hard to balance and during the period we were working on it, I had bad dreams about it every night, haha.

And it wasn’t just the Canynes’ appearance we were particular about, there were also lots of talks about how they would move in the game. What would be the exact location where the player character would be sitting when riding them? Can we have them wag their tails differently depending on the equipment? Can we have their ears wiggle!? etc.

This process continued until the final stages of development. I think that, thanks to everyone who worked so passionately on every little aspect of the Canynes, we were able to create a cute character that’s very popular with the fans!

Q4: Palicoes are the predecessors of Palamutes, and as so-called ‘Lynians,’ they are able to communicate verbally with people, but no such setting seems to exist for Canynes. Why is that?

A4: This involves the world settings, so I’m going to pass this one along to Mr. Ichinose.

Ichinose: “Part of it was that we wanted to separate Canynes from Felynes. By making them ‘fanged beasts’ instead, we were able to give them their own unique characteristics, like being able to ride them, etc.”

▼This is one of the first of Mr. Ichinose’s precious design ideas!

Q5: We do not get to see any wild Canynes in the game. Where do they live? (This question was also answered by Mr. Ichinose)

A5: Ichinose: “We do not show this in the game, but wild Canynes live in the mountains around Kamura Village, and they’ve lived in close contact with humans for a long time. This is the reason that you can find some Canyne statues in the Shrine Ruins.”

Q6: So, when you go hunting, do you take a Palico with you, or a Palamute?

A6: A Palamute of course, because I love to drift all over the place!

However, when taking on very difficult quests or Rampage Quests, I tend to use Palicoes as my lifeline, haha.

I’m also very happy that we got to add some Palamute Gear in Sunbreak that we weren’t able to implement in Rise!

– Closing Comment from Shibata:

Thank you, Abe-san!

It’s interesting to see how Canynes went from an initial monster-like design to something with gradually more dog-like elements. When I was little, I always dreamed of riding a big dog, so I was super happy when Rise made that dream come true! And since this is a new type of Buddy, it was great to see the designs for all of the new equipment, not just for the new monsters, but for legacy monsters as well!

Next time, we’re going to change things up a bit, and we will be looking at the production of promotional items. I’ll be talking to Yosuke Noro, who’s in charge of overseeing the design and coloring of the CFG (Capcom Figure Builder) monster figures that Capcom makes!

Prepare those spray cans because we’re painting the streets with a fresh coat of news straight from the Street Fighter 6 Showcase hosted by Lil Wayne!

A Ticket to Your World Tour

World Tour is a single-player story mode where players can create their own custom avatar to experience an overarching mystery with support from the iconic Masters.

Throughout your adventures, you’ll meet each legendary fighter from Street Fighter 6’s roster. Use Flight Tickets to travel around the world to find each of the 18 fighters – some are more hidden than others. Become their student by Enrolling in their style and learn their Special Moves. Increase your bond with each Master by giving them presents and completing Missions. Combine all this to unlock new cutscenes as you form personal connections with these legendary fighters

We built World Tour to redefine the scope of what a traditional fighting game is, so we took extra care in hand-crafting a personal experience by incorporating in-depth RPG elements. You can consume items and food to recover Vitality, provide buffs, or inflict debuffs. As you level up your avatar, you’ll earn Skill Points to spend on a Skill Tree to further customize your original move set.

Chaos in the Battle Hub

There’s more to do with your customized avatars from World Tour! Take them into the Battle Hub and let them loose in custom avatar battles against other players online where the limit to your fights is your own imagination. Be wary because your opponent might have come up with an even crazier palette of moves.

If order is more your thing, create a Club in the Battle Hub to find like-minded players. Customize your Club emblem and design a uniform that only your Club’s members can show off.

Step into the Fighting Ground

As a celebration of the Street Fighter series, we’re introducing the Battle Damage Feature! During a fight, characters will get sweatier and develop cuts, bruises, and other telltale signs of a heated battle. This is only available in certain offline modes and can be turned off in Settings.

Arcade Mode is a single-player mode in Fighting Ground where you’ll face off against the CPU and learn more about each fighter’s stories. Complete Arcade Mode for each character to unlock illustrations that can be viewed later in the Gallery. Your scores can also be uploaded to online leaderboards, so get out there and challenge the world.

Besides the classic Versus Mode, Street Fighter 6 includes both Team Battle and Extreme Battle. In Team Battle, play with or against other players or the CPU by creating a team and selecting the appropriate parameters. Extreme Battle runs on a set of Rules along with fun Gimmicks like Running Bulls or our own special version of hot potato.

Ranked Matches return where you can fight against other players worldwide and earn League Points to rank up. We’ve taken steps to reduce the fear of losing a match in certain Ranks. First, there’s a one-time Rank-down protection feature for those ranked in Diamond and below. To encourage online play, Rookies will no longer lose League Points upon defeat. Finally, Iron-Gold and Master-ranked players will not incur League demotions. Each character also has their own individual Rank, so trying a new character in a Ranked Match is easier than ever. We hope you take advantage of these features to improve your gameplay!

Year 1 Characters

Four fighters join the Street Fighter 6 roster in our first year after launch! Rashid, who debuted in Street Fighter V, returns in Summer 2023. The enigmatic A.K.I. struts into the roster in Autumn 2023. Ed, also from Street Fighter V, strikes back in Winter 2024. Finally, the legend, the beast, the transcendent Akuma will rage into Street Fighter 6 in Spring 2024! All four of these characters are incorporated into World Tour where you can learn their Special Moves and increase your bond.

Your Moment. Your Demo.

Play the demo for Street Fighter 6 on April 20 on PlayStation®5 and PlayStation®4 and April 26 on Xbox Series X|S and Steam! Hop in for a tiny peek at what the full game offers. Learn basic battle mechanics from the Tutorial and practice Luke & Ryu’s fighting style in the Character Guide. Dip a toe into the first moments of World Tour and experiment with the deep avatar creation feature. Custom avatars can be transferred over to the full game on the same platform once it releases!

If you haven’t already, watch the Street Fighter 6 Showcase to take in the cityscape because it’s almost your time to hit the streets. Street Fighter 6 launches on June 2!

A storm is brewing, and black clouds are on the horizon. They herald the arrival of a legendary elder dragon not seen for some time.

Witness the climax to the story of Kamura Village when in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Free Title Update 5, available now for Nintendo Switch and Steam! The update introduces the fearsome Avatar of Storms, Amatsu, Risen Shagaru Magala, and many other additions.

The powerful Elder Dragon Amatsu can manipulate the weather and conjure up unrelenting gales. Known as the “Looming Calamity,” it summons destructive storms that envelop the area with lightning strikes when enraged.

The threat of Amatsu represents a climactic battle for the people of Kamura Village. A vengeful Kagero, who serves as the village’s merchant, bears a grudge against this legendary Elder Dragon for bringing about “The Great Calamity.” Stand face-to-face with the approaching storm as soon as MR 10 and see how the story unfolds!

Prepare for one of the most dangerous hunts you’ll face in Sunbreak. Wielding even more quantities of the Frenzy virus, Risen Shagaru Magala releases even larger Frenzy attacks and a variety of new moves that will test the skills of the most seasoned hunters. Risen Shagaru Magala awaits all hunters who have reached the mountaintop of MR 180.

New armor sets await for both Amatsu and Risen Shagaru Magala, and as usual there will be new skills to try out! Defeat both monsters and craft these new sets to vary up your builds even further.

Introducing Special Investigations – a new type of Anomaly Quest for truly the most seasoned of hunters. Complete an Anomaly Investigation at the new max level of 300, to receive a one-off Special Investigation. These extremely difficult and dangerous quests will require you to leverage everything you’ve learned as a hunter. These quests don’t yield any luxurious rewards or new quests, but a special Badge of Heroes can be earned if you complete multiple Special Investigations with different monsters.  

A new feature has been added to the Melding Pot with Free Title Update 5! Qurious Melding allows for even better melding by using afflicted materials, making your skill customization easier. We hope you’ll be able to get the talisman with the skills you’ve been looking for.

Weekly Event Quests will continue as well, featuring various awards such as poses and layered armor. One stylish new set to call your attention to is the Bloodmalice layered armor, which combines elements of both Elgado and Kamura: a true joint effort!

Hold on…could it be? Yes, we’ve heard you asking about it for months, and finally we can share that Buff Body will return in the next batch of Event Quest rewards! Flex on those monsters and showcase what peak hunter looks like in this layered armor that leaves little to the imagination.

Be sure to keep checking back each week starting April 27^th to see what challenges have dropped!

We’ve also got some new paid DLC, including the Wild Hunter layered armor set, special stickers featuring Minoto’s masterpieces, and chill BGM packs featuring incredibly laid-back renditions of our favorite music tracks.

Wait…this isn’t the end? It looks like we’ve got one more Bonus Update coming in June. Fiorayne and our hunter are facing down a mysterious monster…

Guess we’ll have to wait a bit longer to find out more!

Until then, stay up to date with the official Monster Hunter Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts for the latest news. Happy hunting and best of luck with all that awaits in Free Title Update 5!

No matter what, we’re always connected.

Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection brings all ten mainline games to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam with online head-to-head NetBattling, Battle Chip trading, Download Chips, Patch Cards, and additional content previously only available in Japan!

For Netizens not in the know, the world of Mega Man Battle Network is set against the backdrop of Net Society. In this near-future world, everything is connected, from home electronics, to ovens, to the infrastructure of entire cities! It’s up to programs known as Network Navigators – or NetNavis, for short – to access the Internet via a device called a PET, or PErsonal Terminal. Thanks to the power of PETs, humans and NetNavis can easily communicate with one another, and people can bring their NetNavi with them wherever they go.

Still, even in this idyllic world, viruses are running rampant on the Internet, and a mysterious organization known as WWW – or World Three – is looming in the shadows. It’s up to Lan and his NetNavi, MegaMan.EXE, to untangle a web of mysterious events that threaten to delete the peace of Net Society!

Using a unique battle system that blends action and card-game like tactics, combat is handled with a mix of grid-based movement and the use of Battle Chips that are randomly drawn from your Folder. Think of your Folder like a deck of cards – you know what cards are in there, but not which ones you’ll be dealt each round. Building out a Folder that can adapt to any situation, or one that you know you’ll need for a specific fight, can make all the difference when it comes to busting viruses and NetBattling against other NetNavi!

Depending on which game you’re playing, MegaMan can also take on new elemental properties to control the field, bond with other NetNavi to unite with their soul and change up his attacks, or beast out with the strength of powerful Cybeast. In later games, how you play can affect MegaMan’s mood, too. Operators who are skilled at dodging damage and perfectly time their attacks can achieve Full Synchro, granting additional powerful effects! On the flip side, take too many hits, and MegaMan may become anxious and susceptible to negative influences… or worse.

Online play is also included in all ten games, allowing Operators to challenge others to NetBattles around the world in both ranked and casual matches. Battle Chip trading, Style swapping, exchanging Navi Customizer Programs, and comparing your fastest times defeating certain enemies are also available depending on the game, and you can even compare chips against other Operators to see which ones you might be missing! You can check out our blog about online features and technical adjustments for more info.

There’s even more, too. Previously, Mr. Famous (Director Masakazu Eguchi) was kind enough to share a deep dive on features and contents in this collection, including Boktai collaborations that were previously unavailable in Western releases and the Buster MAX feature that powers up standard Mega Buster shots by a multiple of 100! You can find more information from Mr. Eguchi himself in this blog. (NetBattlers need not worry, Buster MAX mode and certain chip combinations are disabled in online NetBattles. You can check the blog linked above for more details.)

On top of everything else, Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection also features optional high-resolution filters that allow PET owners to enjoy smooth visuals or revisit the original pixel art that helped define the style of the original games. Plus, over 1,000 pieces of art are included in the Gallery, spanning concept art, character sketches, and official illustrations. The additional “Mystery Data” section also includes unique illustrations and images of licensed goods, and the Music Player offers over 180 tunes for you to rock out to when you and your NetNavi aren’t busy exploring the ‘Net.

No matter what, we’re always connected. Stay connected with the Mega Man Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts for the latest info, and stay connected to the ‘Net with Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection, available now for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam!

Hello everyone! Koichi Shibata here, reporting from the Monster Hunter Rise dev floor!

For our next round of Monster Hunter Rise interviews, I will be talking to Ken Yamazaki, the lead animator for the monsters in Sunbreak.

Q1: First off, could you give us a quick explanation of your role on Sunbreak?

A1: Apart from my tasks as a leader, I was in charge of monster animations. I was mainly in charge of Garangolm, one of the Three Lords. It’s one of the iconic faces of Sunbreak, so I tried my best to make it a unique and memorable monster.

Q2: What kind of themes and guidelines did you use when designing the animations for the monsters?

A2: Garangolm’s motif was Frankenstein’s monster. On top of that, it needed to behave like a “realistic” animal living in nature, so those were the two most important aspects of the animation design. I talked to the team members about its character a lot, and that’s how we ended up with the current Garangolm!

Q3: What kind of process do you go through when creating animations?

A3: The process for making monster animations is to first get a design doc from the game designers that contains info on what kind of gameplay they envision and what type of attacks they want to make. Based on that design doc and the character image of the monster, we start making temp animations. These temp animations are used to test the gameplay, and give a visual impression of the monster’s motions, its characteristics, and its uniqueness, which need to be vetted by the game director and the art director. When we get the OK, we start tweaking the animations in the game, alongside the game design and the VFX, which sometimes involves making modifications to improve the quality. Once the gameplay and visuals are hammered out, we go into the final brush-up phase, and then the animations are done!

Q4: I’ve heard that even the monster animations are made using human motion capture. How does that work?

A4: For characters like Garangolm that have motions that can be “copied” by human beings, we often use motion capture. We even sometimes use motion capture for flying monsters like Malzeno, where the actors have to use their arms as wings. This basically goes for all characters, but motion capture data is generally just used as a base “material,” and the actual finished animations tend to be quite different. However, we still maintain the more detailed movements and expressions the actors use when they play a monster, so we try to make the most out of the captured footage when creating the final animations.

Q5: Being the person who created the animations, it must be really easy for you to dodge a monster’s attacks?

A5: That’s right! For most attacks, I can immediately tell what’s coming just by looking at the start-up animation, so I’m generally able to dodge everything. I also know exactly when the monster is open to counterattacks, so I know when to move in to retaliate. But this knowledge also often leads to overconfidence, so it’s not like I can just trounce every monster I’ve worked on, and I can still have a lot of fun fighting monsters I’m familiar with.

Each monster has its own unique characteristics, so I encourage people to take a close look at the animations (while dodging and keeping a safe distance of course). 

– Closing Comment from Shibata:

Thank you, Yamazaki-san!

It’s interesting to know that the animators strive to reflect each monster’s character and uniqueness in the animations, while keeping in mind how “realistic” the monster is as a naturally living creature, and what kind of gameplay they want the players to experience. It must be very satisfying to fight a monster whose attacks you’re intimately familiar with, but still not always being able to avoid them.

Next time, I will be talking to Moeri Abe about Canynes, because we didn’t get around to that when we did the Rise interviews!

The wait is over. Baby Eagle has been located.

Resident Evil 4 is available now for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam!

Leon S. Kennedy barely evaded the horrors of Raccoon City, during the worst first day on the job anyone could have. After narrowly fleeing from the doomed city and the biological disaster that became its death knell, Leon was quickly recruited as an agent of the U.S. government due to his unique standing as a Raccoon City survivor. Subjected to grueling missions that highlighted his ability to survive and complete his missions at all costs, Leon was ultimately assigned as a direct report to the President of the United States of America.

His latest mission? Locate and rescue the president’s kidnapped daughter, Ashley Graham. For an accomplished agent it’s easy enough on paper – a simple extraction mission. As Leon makes his way to a secluded village in Europe, he quickly discovers the terrifying fervor gripping the local populace runs far deeper than anything he’s encountered before. Leon’s survival skills will be put to the test as he plunges into the depths of madness.

Resident Evil 4 is, of course, a remake of the beloved 2005 game of the same name. The essence of what made the original so cherished is still intact, with the power of RE Engine fueling its rebirth. Vivid details in the environment make familiar locales more unsettling. Deeper connections between characters bring you closer to their stories and personalities. And, of course, there’s modernized gameplay that adds a new dimension and more depth to combat! Leon can cheat death in every encounter thanks to the ability to parry attacks with his knife, unleash a quick stab to break away from enemies that are a little too handsy, and dispatch certain enemies on the ground before they’re able to get back up. There are quite a number of things you can do with a knife! Make sure you’re keeping your trusty blade in tip-top shape – it’d be a shame if something happened to it, though we know a guy who might be able to help you if it breaks.

Resident Evil 4 wouldn’t be complete without the thrill of conquering your foes with an arsenal of melee moves and weapons. With careful aim or sometimes just a bit of luck, you’ll be able to stun enemies and unleash hell with follow-up melee moves, including a devastating suplex. Your options for weaponry will also increase with the help of a friendly – if not slightly eccentric – Merchant. Seems he’s keen to help out an agent in need of a little assistance, and Leon’s arsenal will expand throughout the game with new guns, modifications, and more to give you everything you need to complete your mission. Accomplish certain tasks or find the right items, and the Merchant might even reward Leon with money and new equipment, as well.

Even then, survival is only the beginning. Once you’ve located and rescued Ashley Graham, your mission is to get her out safely by any means necessary. While Ashley lacks the combat training that Leon has, she’s far from defenseless. Leon can issue commands to keep Ashley close by or spread out for a more tactical approach, and if Ashley is put in a downed state by taking damage, Leon can quickly get her back to her feet. Just make sure she’s not taken away by a member of Los Iluminados, or you may never see her again.

If all that wasn’t enough, an additional high-octane mode, The Mercenaries, will be added to the game on April 7th. We’ll have more information on that soon, so keep those eyes open to the Resident Evil Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok channels for more info as it drops. There’s so much more I could go on about – how to perfectly organize your attaché case, the perks of holding off a chainsaw attack with a knife, the fate of that dog … but I’ll let you discover all that for yourself. Ready to take a tour of the European countryside? The wait’s over because Resident Evil 4 is available for purchase now… stranger. Heh heh heh.

Hello everyone! Koichi Shibata here, reporting from the Monster Hunter Rise dev floor! For our twenty-third round of Monster Hunter Rise interviews, I will be talking to Director Yoshitake Suzuki about Espinas, whose appearance in Sunbreak caused quite a stir among the fans.

Q1: First off, could you tell us what led to Espinas appearing in this game?

A1: When I was assigned as Director on Sunbreak, I decided at a very early stage when coming up with the monster roster, that I wanted to have a monster from Monster Hunter Frontier in there.

One of the reasons is that I’m a fan of the game and I have lots of good memories playing it, and I was very sad to see the service ending in December of 2019. It was a server-operated online game, which meant that the fans wouldn’t be able to play the game itself anymore, so I thought: “What can I do for my fellow Frontier fans?” and this is what I came up with.

Q2: Was there anything you were very particular or watchful about?

A2: Since Sunbreak is the follow-up to Rise, I had to carry over the general world design, gameplay, and systems. Within those constraints, I really wanted to add something new to the experience, something fresh for the fans! Espinas fit that concept to a tee, so I was very particular about making sure it was compatible with Sunbreak, while also preserving the monster’s visual image, ecology, and actions from the original game.

For example, Espinas is always asleep at the start of the quest. When the player starts attacking it, it will wake up, and in the original game, it would still just walk around for a while without concerning itself with the player. However, since Sunbreak needed to preserve the quest tempo of Rise, we made some tweaks here, and changed it so that it now immediately starts attacking as soon as the player wakes it up. We made lots of other tweaks as well, such as changes in the thickness of its hide depending on whether it’s angry or not. Everyone on the team was very much aware of having to balance respect towards the source material with the needs and gameplay of Sunbreak.

Q3: How did the series’ producer, Ryozo Tsujimoto, and other people who worked on older MH games respond to this?

A3: I have to say I was pretty nervous when I showed the design doc with all of the new elements for Sunbreak to Tsujimoto-san and Ichinose-san (the Director of Rise)…but they were both very positive towards almost all of the elements I proposed, so I remember being very relieved. Of course, there were some things they ended up shooting down, but I really felt like they were pushing me to make the game I wanted to make, and I’m very grateful for that.

Q4: The third Sunbreak trailer that was shown during the Capcom Showcase in June 2022, and the demo at TGS 2022 really got people talking. What kind of responses did you get?

A4: I got lots of responses from a variety of directions (including from inside the company!), which made me very happy. I was also glad to hear that a lot of people wanted more monsters from Frontier!

However, since Sunbreak was made to be the sequel to Rise, I had to keep compatibility in mind, so I had already firmly decided from an early stage in the game’s design that I was only going to use Espinas, and that I was going to put all of my love as a fan of Frontier into this monster. I hope everyone who played the original game can feel what I was trying to get across.

That said, we went ahead and added Flaming Espinas too, haha.

Thanks for playing, everyone!

– Closing Comment from Shibata:

Thank you, Suzuki-san!

We received a lot of positive feedback to the appearance of Espinas, and “Espinas” was even the top trending term on Twitter for a while after the Capcom Showcase. I’m sure that everyone taking on Espinas for the first time in Sunbreak will be able to appreciate how it maintains respect for the original game, while balancing it with the gameplay and needs of this game.

Next time, I will be talking to Ken Yamazaki about the animations for the monsters appearing in Sunbreak!

A MegaMan NT Warrior anime Twitch marathon is on the way, too!

We’ve just decrypted a fresh batch of Mystery Data about Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection from today’s Capcom Spotlight broadcast, and you read that right – we’re running a marathon of Mega Man NT Warrior on Twitch starting March 21^st at 10:00 AM PT!

We’ll have a full run of episodes from the first two seasons – complete with English dubs – for you to enjoy alongside Twitch chat. Not only that, but the marathon will be open to global co-streaming, so we encourage all of you to co-stream the marathon to your community! Plus, read on for additional news about Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection with lots of info from Mr. Famous (Director Masakazu Eguchi) himself!

More EXE-iting Features for Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection

There’s a lot to download here, so let’s start with Ranked Matches and the Ranks associated with them. If you caught our last big announcement, you probably noticed that there were different names for match types compared to the original games. Lots of people were curious about Ranked Match in particular, so we called in an expert to explain.

“Hello, everyone! Mr. Famous here! When you play in a Ranked Match, you’ll start out at the lowest rank – Rank E. From there, you can climb the ladder up to D, C, B, and A. Beyond that, you’ll reach S, then S++, then the highest rank of all: Ω (Omega)!

“There are no rank rewards or seasonal rank resets, but in ranked matches, you’ll be preferentially matched with NetBattlers in the same range of ranks. It ensures you’ll always have fierce battles against opponents of similar skill! Your ranking can also go down depending on your performance, so maintaining your rank is proof that you’re a skilled NetBattler. Hone your skills and aim for the very top!”

Next, we’d like to share some updates on the “ABD strategy”, or Auto Battle Data strategy. There were a lot of questions about what other adjustments were made besides the TreeBomb Prism combo.

“This was a particularly dreaded strategy that was used in Mega Man Battle Network 4 and 5. When Dark Soul Unison caused Dark MegaMan to act on his own without input from an Operator (that means you, the player!), MegaMan could use a series of powerful Dark Chips. This has been adjusted slightly. If the Battle Chips that MegaMan would use on his own are too unbalanced in his uncontrollable state, then standard Battle Chips are also used to make it difficult for only Dark Chips to be used in succession.

“As a result, the DarkInvis chip from Battle Network 5, which was previously banned in official tournaments in Japan, is now allowed to be used in battle. To be honest, it’s hard to predict what kinds of battles will unfold now…!”

Thanks for the update, Mr. Famous! You need to be careful with those Dark Chips, you know. They may be powerful, but there can be some lasting consequences. Let’s move on to the next topic – the new chip illustrations that were revealed as part of our previous announcement! Please take it away, Mr. Famous!

“In the original games, most chip illustrations were created from design art and then converted into pixel art. However, due to development schedules, the art for some chips was created directly as pixel art. In the Legacy Collection, the chip illustrations are standard illustrations instead of pixel art. For chips that didn’t have design art or only had rough sketches, Art Director Kaji Hayato created new art based on the rough sketches and pixel art.”

Oh, by the way! Mr. Hayato has worked on a large number of Mega Man games over the years, including all of the Mega Man Battle Network games. He also created the design of X from – you already know this, of course – the Mega Man X games!

“These high-quality illustrations can only be seen on the Chip Trading screen, and there are quite a few of them in total! Keep in mind that the in-game art will still be the classic pixel art.”

Now you have even more reasons to trade a variety of chips with other players. You’ll get to see all that amazing art that Mr. Hayato graciously worked on! But there’s even more to cover, so let’s keep going. Battle Chips aren’t the only way to customize your battle experience, after all. Mr. Famous?

“You may already know this, but… Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection features all 499 Patch Cards that were released from Mega Man Battle Network 4 through 6! Similar to Download Chips, there are many people who didn’t have the chance to use Patch Cards when these games were first released. Even for those who were able to, few were able to collect every card. This is something I wanted to have added to Legacy Collection from the very beginning.”

As a sidenote for those not in the know, Patch Cards were unique physical cards that were only released in Japan. They used a special device that would scan the card into the game, modifying it in various ways.

“Using the cards themselves is simple. From the ‘MegaMan’ menu option of each game, a single button press will take you to the Patch Card screen. Select the Patch Card you want from the list to load it into the game!

“Of course, the popular ‘Bass Cross MegaMan’ card that was the talk of the town in Battle Network 5 and 6 is also included! Now, while we’d like to refrain from banning cards as much as possible, we’ve decided the ‘All Guard 1/2’ and ‘All Guard 2/2’ patch cards from Battle Network 4, which cause MegaMan’s guard to always be active when used together, won’t be available to use in online battles. You can still use them in single-player mode, though! Other than that, there are no restrictions, so please use the complete set of Patch Cards as much as you’d like to modify MegaMan to your heart’s desire!”

Now, for those of you whose pulse is in beat with the Battle Network community, we’ve got a few extra-special items to share with you. First up – the Z Saber!

“This was a hot topic recently as fans discovered the famous and elusive Z Saber was available to obtain via a lotto number. This information wasn’t announced way back when, but we figured there must be a lot of people who wanted to try out the Z Saber, so we made it available via both a lotto number and as a Special Card in Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection! As for the appearance of Bass Cross MegaMan in Battle Network 6, it will remain just as it was back in the original game. I wish I could have matched it with Battle Network 5, but we also left it as it was back then too!”

We’re also shining a light on something that will undoubtedly excite long-time Battle Network fans. Would you like to illuminate us, Mr. Famous?

“With permission from Konami, the Boktai collaboration contents have been included in this collection! Unfortunately, crossover battles with the Boktai series won’t be possible. The games in Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection are based on the original Japanese games on Game Boy Advance that required a physical connection to the Boktai series games to access collaboration contents. That said, the Boktai collaboration Battle Chips, newly translated stories, and Patch Cards will be available! These collaborations are available in Mega Man Battle Network 4, 5, and 6.”

Long-time fans are already aware, but to get others up to speed, this content was not available in Western releases of Mega Man Battle Network games. This marks the first time that some of this content will be made available in territories outside Japan!

“As for the specific chip traders in Battle Network 5 and 6, in the original games, some of the traders weren’t available without doing crossover battles first. In Legacy Collection, you’ll be able to find them somewhere on the Internet as you progress through the story. We’ve also made it so that the “crossover points” needed to get chips from these traders are won via Ranked Matches, so be sure to give ranked NetBattling a try!

“In the future, there may be some people who wonder what ‘Crossover Points’ are, so hopefully you can tell your fellow NetBattlers this is the background behind it!”

Ⓒ2005 Konami Digital Entertainment

Finally, we have one more feature to discuss: Buster MAX Mode!

“To put it simply, this function multiplies the attack power of a single normal MegaBuster shot by 100! You can toggle this on and off at any time before selecting a game or during gameplay. It’s completely optional, so you can turn it on to quickly progress through the story, turn it off when you want to enjoy a particular battle, and so on.

“To be clear, it will multiply the damage done by one hundred. That means if a single normal MegaBuster shot does 1 damage, the damage will be 100; if a normal shot does 5 damage, Buster MAX Mode will make it 500. It lets you progress very quickly!

“There are a few things to note, though. The 100x multiplier will not be applied to charge shots or MegaBuster shots that have been modified via a modification card. Buster MAX Mode is automatically turned off during online battles. In addition, the delete time records of bosses from Battle Network 3 onward are not updated when Buster MAX Mode is on.

“I hope you’ll use it when you want to make quick progress in the story and turn it off when you want to focus on intense battles. It’s entirely up to you! I want series newcomers to take their time playing the Battle Network games for the first time. For returning players, it might have been a while since their last play-through. I think it can be difficult for fans to find the time to play nowadays (especially compared to when they were younger), so please don’t hesitate to use this feature! That’s how I feel, and that’s why we’ve enabled all the Download Chips and Patch Cards from the beginning!

“In single-player, it’s okay to use this feature to help you win battles. You can compromise by turning Buster MAX Mode on and off depending on the fight! A different type of challenge awaits you in online battles, where Buster MAX Mode is automatically disabled. You can clear the games on your own and use Buster MAX Mode to collect Battle Chips to use in online NetBattles!”

I’ll leave the last words to Mr. Famous for this one, but for everyone who’s ready to relive some memories or explore the world of Net Society for the very first time, Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection launches in just a few weeks, bringing all ten mainline games to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Steam on April 14^th, 2023. Once more, Mr. Famous, the floor is yours!

“I hope you’ll enjoy the game in your own way using Download Chips, Patch Cards, and Buster MAX Mode at any time you like!

“It’s our sincere hope that you’ll feel the same way you did when you played these games for the first time, thinking about what it would have been like if you had a specific Battle Chip or Patch Card… I hope you’ll play the game with your memories and imagination in your heart! Please wait just a little longer for release!

“I’ve been Mr. Famous!!”

We’d like to take this last day of February to celebrate Black History Month and the Black Capcom Creators community, which continues to be a driving force for a better world with diverse voices and avenues of influence. Please take a moment to read about what Black History Month means to them below.

Athena4Lyfe 

Can you introduce yourself?

Hello, I am Athena, also known as Athena4Lyfe. I am a streamer and content creator. I just really thrive from giving a person a little bit of me in the most authentic way., If there is any chance, I can influence or inspire someone with what I love doing then my goals are met. I really want to leave a positive impression on whomever I can. I have been gaming ever since I was a little girl. I don’t take myself super seriously and I think that allows people to not feel pressured in approaching me. I love laughing and making sure everyone is having a fun time because life is too short to not spend it enjoying the things we love.

What does Black History Month mean to you?

Black History Month means everything to me. As a Black woman in the gaming industry, I find it very comforting to be able to celebrate a month where my forefathers stood for things that will impact generations forever. I am amazed by how much I learn every Black History Month, but I also feel a sense of urgency when I see what the people before me have done. I want to do everything in my power to honor them by being an upstanding citizen and loving being Black and continuing to spread the message that Black is beautiful. Black is smart. Black is magic!

Iceman

Can you introduce yourself?

I’m a variety streamer with a mainly chill, but occasional flurries-of-hype community called The Ice Cave!

What does Black History Month mean to you?

Being a person of color and in the minority, BHM means a lot. Being inspired and being an inspiration to other content creators, or content creators in the making, this month gives us a platform, a voice, to be heard, and to inspire others.

Kallista

Can you introduce yourself?

Hi! I am a cosplayer, gamer, video game reviewer, writer, and video game lore enthusiast! I cosplay characters from video games and from ‘00s anime series.

What does Black History Month mean to you?

BHM is not just a reminder to me, but to everyone to celebrate and uplift Black creators in every form. It’s a reminder of the hardships that all my ancestors went through to give me the pathway to a future that I could create myself.

DeafGamersTV

Can you introduce yourself?

I’m Chris. I’m a Black deaf diabetic gamer from Chicago. I’m a gaming accessibility advocate and consultant to make games more inclusive for deaf and hard-of-hearing gamers.

What does Black History Month mean to you?

BHM is a reminder of our existence that we are still here continuing to educate and spread awareness of our culture whenever it’s food, hair, music, clothing, anything. This is to celebrate the smiles we’ve brought to different communities.

RekonRap

Can you introduce yourself?

My alias is RekonRap and I’m bred from the creative natures expressed in the ‘90s. There’s so many unique gems that cultivated the cultures I’ve involved myself in, so I wish to continue my exploration of that and modernize them in my own way.

What does Black History Month mean to you?

Black History Month brings awareness to how innovative my culture has been and continues to be in every aspect of human life. There are important archetypes that served as catalysts to the everyday leisure we have today.

Shawn K the King

Can you introduce yourself?

I’m a variety gamer that likes to play all games! I grew up as a kid playing all kinds of games, it’s a passion for me to do it as a full-time job now.

What does Black History Month mean to you?

It reflects accomplishments of great people that made a difference in the world.

Cliffdogg

Can you introduce yourself?

I am a variety/fighting game content creator. I’ve been gaming since I was 2 years old. Fighting games run through my veins, but I love to explore what else is out there. When it comes to fighting games, Street Fighter is one my favorites. When it comes to the variety side of things Resident Evil is one of my favorites. My son loves to game with me as well, so I hope we continue to build that bond within each other.

What does Black History Month mean to you?

The appreciation and acknowledgement of blackness and how it permeates all aspects of society.

Thank you to these individuals for sharing their stories and what inspires them in this historic month. Throughout the year, we’ll continue highlighting voices from various groups in order to bring a wider understanding among us all. If you’re interested in joining the Capcom Creators community and sharing your story, check out the details and apply here!

Zangief and Cammy return in Street Fighter 6 along with newcomer Lily. They round out the diverse 18-character launch roster when Street Fighter 6 launches on June 2, 2023!

One of the original World Warriors from Street Fighter II, Zangief is a colossal wrestler dedicated to physical improvement and instructing his students. Find Zangief flexing the beauty of his muscles in front of a raging crowd in Barmaley Steelworks.

Zangief still has his trademark throws like Screw Piledriver and Siberian Express – all of which have been in previous entries in some way or form. During his time teaching, Zangief has picked up a new move called the Tundra Storm, which can be used to counter an opponent’s grounded kick resulting in a damaging throw.

Soaring in as a new character to Street Fighter 6, Lily is a descendant of the Thunderfoot tribe, the same tribe T. Hawk hails from. She speaks with the spirits of nature, trusting in their guidance as she travels the globe. Don’t judge a book by its cover—her small stature conceals truly gigantic power. Her home in the Thunderfoot Settlement is flush with vibrant colors and her people going about their daily lives.

Hailing from the same tribe as T. Hawk, Lily flies towards enemies with Condor Dive, Condor Spire, and Tomahawk Buster. She can use her unique move Condor Wind to grant one Windclad stock, which powers up the aforementioned special moves.

Cammy is a member of British special forces unit Delta Red where she currently works at HQ. She distinguished herself in the operation against Shadaloo, with which she shares a fated connection. Hyper-competent but somewhat moody, Cammy kind of hates everything – except cats.

Cammy fans will feel comfortable with her move set in Street Fighter 6, which improves on her legendary deadly moves. The Heavy version of Spiral Arrow, Cannon Spike, and Hooligan Combination can now be held down to delay the move while also changing its properties or damage. Cammy’s training back at HQ has also opened up more opportunities when using Hooligan Combination, but she wants that to remain confidential for now.

Lastly, we’re proud to announce the return of Capcom Cup for the 2023 season which will feature Street Fighter 6 and a prize pool of $2,000,000 with the winner receiving $1,000,000. Will you be the first Capcom Cup champion for Street Fighter 6?

Street Fighter 6 hits the scene on June 2, 2023 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC!

Sleuths and spirits, rejoice! Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective will reawaken in the physical world with a remaster set to spook your gaming delights in Summer 2023 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam.

Making its first appearance in North America in 2011, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective was directed and written by Shu Takumi. You take the role of Sissel, a phantom who wakes up with no memories and must unravel the mystery behind his death. Sissel utilizes his “Ghost” and “Trick” abilities to possess and manipulate objects in his search for the truth.

Sissel encounters a ragtag band of characters who each may have answers to his death, including Lynne, a witness of Sissel’s death, and Kamila, a little girl who is protected by her dog Missile while awaiting a mysterious fate. Can Sissel figure out their connection to his demise?

As a remaster, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective comes jam-packed with new features including:

• Higher Quality Gameplay: Images and framerates are now adapted for 1080p/60fps visuals
• Optimized UI Features: With new platforms comes compatibility for both controllers and touch screens (applicable only to platforms with built-in touch screen support.)
• Nine Languages (Three Brand New!): Now playable in nine languages, including English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean (new), Simplified Chinese (new), and Traditional Chinese (new)
• New Challenges for Consoles: Newly added Trophies and returning Ghost Puzzles can be obtained by completing different levels of the game
• Fresh Music and Illustrations: Available in the Collection feature, players can now access newly recorded and arranged music tracks alongside unique illustrations

That’s all for now, but don’t be scared! We’ll have more information you’ll die for as we get closer to Summer 2023. In the meantime, we leave you with this: Why are ghosts so lonely? Because they have no body to lean on.

Just a little over a year ago, we kicked off the Capcom Creators program as a way to support, grow and share our appreciation of the amazing content creator community. We’re humbled by the interest and attention the program has received in its first 12 months and are dedicated to continuing to grow Capcom Creators in the years ahead.

We’d like to send a heartfelt thank you to the entire passionate community of streamers, YouTubers, artists, cosplayers, and everything in between that have made the Capcom Creators program what it is today. Without you, this program doesn’t exist.

As a way to further celebrate and cap off our one-year anniversary, we’re highlighting just a small handful of the amazing Capcom Creators below. We wish we had room to highlight everyone but that would be a verrrrry long blog post.

And as a reminder, if you’re interested in joining the program yourself, head to the website here to check out the details and apply!

With that, say hello to the creators below and we can’t wait to find more ways to celebrate with you all in Year Two!

KeeKeexBabyy

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I am a variety creator who plays literally any and everything, while creating an uplifting and welcoming space for BIPOC & marginalized people like myself. I also cosplay and do part time vtubing.

Follow keekeexbabyy on Instagram – @keekeexbabyy

What is your favorite Capcom game?

Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Devil May Cry, & Monster Hunter games.

What has the Capcom Creators program meant to you?

It has been amazing getting to work closely with Capcom staff on things and having opportunities to play new versions of many of the games that were a big part of my childhood. It has meant so much as the little girl who watched her mom playing Resident Evil and growing up to tell her I am partnered with Capcom and to see how happy & proud of me she is. It just means so much especially because I have so much love for the games.

Nemesis

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I’m Nemesis! I’m a trans drag queen variety cosplay retro streamer! It’s a mouthful, but I do it all! I’m glad I can be a voice for my community.

Follow Nemesis on Instagram – @nemesislacroix

What was your first Capcom game?

Viewtiful Joe 2

What has the Capcom Creators program meant to you?

It’s been great to network and meet so many faces within the industry, I love to mingle and meet new people in comfortable safe spaces!

Sesame Cosplay

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I’m primarily a cosplayer but I stream a bit of my making process over on Twitch. I’ve been making cosplay since I was in high school and over the years incorporated or experimented with new techniques. As I got a number of questions of how something was made, I decided to start a Twitch channel where people could ask me in real-time any questions that they might have. Aside from that, I work in the education industry, attend college in a Master’s program and run a taiko drum group. Really, I like being busy.

Follow Sesame on Instagram – @sesame.cos

What is your favorite Capcom game?

Okami

What has the Capcom Creators program meant to you?

It’s been amazing! I’ve been able to meet so many cool people creating things for the games that I love. Especially for the Monster Hunter community! I’ve been able to make so many new friends and we are able to meet up, talk to each other, share reference pictures, talk about new crafting techniques, play the games together, and on and on and on. It’s great!

Nintendads

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

We are primarily a podcast, but also streamers and content creators! Two dads, many hats!

Follow the Nintendads on Instagram – @thenintendads

What is your favorite Capcom game?

Monster Hunter Rise / Sunbreak

What has the Capcom Creators program meant to you?

Being accepted to the Capcom Creators program has meant the world to us! Both of us have played Capcom games since childhood so getting to partner with the company that has made some of our favorite games is a dream come true. Since Monster Hunter Rise released, we’ve been sucked into the world of Monster Hunter and its community, and it has quickly become one of our favorite games. Capcom has showered us with support in many ways such as the Hunter Helper Happy Hour and by sending over the COOLEST box of swag we’ve ever received! It’s wonderful to be acknowledged and validated as a creator by a big publisher like Capcom. This program is truly building something special <3

Emily Serrato

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I’m a cosplayer, Twitch streamer and dedicated disability advocate in the gaming and esports industries as I am a disabled person myself, working hard to showcase disabled gamers to bring recognition, opportunities and awareness.

Follow tokimekiemily on Instagram – @tokimekiemily

What is your favorite Capcom game?

Street Fighter Alpha 3

What has the Capcom Creators program meant to you?

The Capcom Creators program has meant a lot to me as a Street Fighter fan, cosplayer, and disabled person/disability advocate. Street Fighter inspired me to start playing fighting games, start cosplaying, fight for what I believe in, and share my passion for Street Fighter with others. To represent Capcom and their community as a disabled person speaks volumes because I don’t have the biggest social media following. I’m a small streamer and representative of unseen, unsupported community as the disabled. I’m an example of what is possible when you’re passionate about gaming and love what you do. Thank you for allowing me to shine and show what’s possible when I follow my heart, Capcom. Thank you for allowing me to represent the disabled community.

Aria Mikado

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I’m a VTuber, and a content creator of many years! I’ve been doing combo and tutorial videos for 14 years and counting for several different games, including those under Capcom’s banner, several of which have made the rounds in places like Shoryuken.com, Eventhubs, Dream Cancel (which I’m an occasional contributor for), and even places like The Daily Dot! I hope to continue making content with the aim of teaching people moving forward. :3

Follow Aria Mikado on Twitter – @AriaMikado

What was your first Capcom game?

My first Capcom game was Street Fighter II, like so many others, but it was the Chip N’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers and Mega Man games that caught me most at a young age. :3

What has the Capcom Creators program meant to you?

The Capcom Creators program has meant a lot to me. As an introvert that finds socializing quite difficult (to put it lightly), being able to be in a place of acceptance and support did a lot to help me start to move out of my comfort zone more, even if my interactions are rare. It’s also helped give me a good deal of confidence, as it’s been a positive sign to me that all the tutorials and the like that I’ve done over the years haven’t gone unappreciated, and that thanks to you all, I have reminders that things that I’ve done have mattered and made a difference, so sincerely, thank you all for everything you do for us.

That’s it for now! We are always looking to highlight more members of our Capcom Creators Program and will continue to do so in 2023. Thank you to each and every single one of you for your passion, support, and love of Capcom games!