Skullgirls has been consistently recognized for its personality and appearance since its release in 2012. Over the years very little has altered its appearance to keep it so recognizable within the fighting game community, and there’s always been a lot of pride surrounding the unique identity of the game and what makes it stand out against other 2D fighting games. But, going forward, things might appear slightly different from what you’re used to.
On June 24, Hidden Variable Director Charley, posted on the Skullgirls Mobile Official Forums under the user “MightyZug” regarding an upcoming change for the game which alters its general appearance. Within this post, it’s expressed that the team at Hidden Variable, Future Club, and Autumn Games, have reflected on their past decision for certain content, and as such, Skullgirls has been updated to reflect the “values and broad vision for Skullgirls moving forward.”
While the vast majority of content being censored within the game is to prevent allusions to cultural and historical insensitivity, the sexualization of its characters is the most significant talking point among the community. Once again referencing the official Skullgirls content update & revisions post, these changes have been made to “provide a more sound foundation for Skullgirls that we can all be proud of as we continue to grow and expand the universe in the years to come.”
The patch update rolled out on all platforms on June 26, which resulted in a fairly negative response from its community. Now boasting a “Mostly Negative” rating via its recent reviews on Steam alone, the update has massively deterred a huge number of players from continuing to support the title, which is being thoroughly expressed across Steam and social media.
Within the last 30 days, Steam states that 66% of the reviews left by users are now negative, which drastically contrasts with the 93% of positive reviews under the “all reviews” tab. The general consensus of reviews argues that the game should’ve at least provided an option to maintain the art style the title has been known for throughout its history, rather than compromising its original artistic vision.
The team at Reverge Labs and Autumn Games are yet to offer an insight into the future of Skullgirls 2nd Encore and Skullgirls Mobile following the update, leaving a huge number of players questioning whether or not this will continue to alter the traditional Skullgirls experience in favor of the new values and visions of the franchise.
Even though Skullgirls 2nd Encore didn't make our list of the best fighting games, it's worth picking up if you're looking for a new approach to hand-to-hand combat. But, if you're already invested and want to perfect your performance, it might also be worth looking at the best fight sticks as an extra leg up next time you step into the ring.
