Fighting EX Layer: Arika’s New Fighting Game Leaps Onto The Scene

Will Its Punches Hit Their Mark?

The fighting game genre has been dominated by two games as of late; Tekken 7 and Injustice 2. The former earned praise for its gameplay mechanics and finally managing to elevate the iconic franchise from its former mediocrity, while the latter gave us what might just be the best narrative in a fighting game. Ever.

Plus, the two have been dishing out DLC characters like there’s no tomorrow, even managing to get the likes of Final Fantasy XV and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on board!

However, there seems to be a newcomer waiting in the wings; the successor to the obscure arcade game Fighting Layer. 

According to an article on Polygon –

Developer Arika’s new fighting game, originally unveiled on April Fool’s Day but very much a real thing that’s actually coming out, finally has a name. The game formerly known as the “Mysterious Fighting Game” is officially titled Fighting EX Layer.

Arika founder Akira Nishitani announced the final title in a post on the PlayStation Blog, explaining why the fighting game had a tentative name until now.

“There were some troubles during the naming process that caused some delays, but it’s finally settled!” Nishitani said. “(Although there were a lot of people already calling it this whenever we streamed…)”

Nishitani also announced a date for the beta version of the Fighting EX Layer for PlayStation 4. The beta will be released on Dec. 11 and will be available for a two-week period. Six fighters will be playable as part of the test: Kairi, Garuda, Skullomania, Darun Mister, Allen Snider and Shirase.

Nishitani also touched on Fighting EX Layer’s Gougi system, which lets players choose a quintet of modifiers and power ups to customize their character. These can include options such as increased movement speed or attack power, or abilities like Hades, which grants super armor, and Rage, which gives a fighter infinite super meter.

Gougi, Nishitani explained, will hopefully change the flow of matches.

“For example, in most other fighting games, aside from times where you think, ‘I can win in one more combo,’ ‘I can win if I chip him out,’ and ‘I’m in the corner,’ your battle strategy doesn’t really change that much, right?” Nishitani said. “I wanted to change this on a system level and make a game where matches get crazier and more exciting as they go on.”

Fighting EX Layer is a spiritual successor Arika’s Street Fighter EX series and 1998 arcade game Fighting Layer. Fighting EX Layer will feature fighters from both series’ cast of characters.