The Japan Amusement Expo (JAEPO) is always a blast to visit and check out during the weekend if you happen to be in Japan and love video games and arcade culture. Here’s one more reason to queue up and check it out: Guilty Gear – Strive arcade cabinets.

That’s right: the latest Guilty Gear game, the one that isn’t out yet and is getting a ton of controversy for its simplification & “streamlining”, is playable at JAEPO 2020. The expo will be at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Tokyo, on 7th-8th February. The six playable characters in this build are Sol, Ky, May, Axl, Chipp, and Potemkin.

Speaking of controversy, a huge number of pros and fighting game enthusiasts are concerned over the game’s current changes. I’m not well-versed with Guilty Gear‘s ever-changing mechanics, but I do know that allegedly turning your fighting game into an esports-savvy spectacle is not going to do you any favours. Especially if it’s a game series in need of more new blood.

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— ??@????…? (@sena_kazuma) January 24, 2020

One cool thing about the new airdash is that the startup of the airdash seems to be entirely in that hangtime pause. You can see multiple times here that May just rockets forward with jH immediately AS she advances which isn't possible in pre-Strive https://t.co/LegwlLkxKJ

— Bears (@AMurderOfBears) January 24, 2020

Still, there’s ample time for Arc System Works to correct their course of action. The game is scheduled for Fall 2020 on PS4.

The last time we were at JAEPO, we interviewed pros like Tokido and Fudo in the midst of a special JESU-sanctioned Asia vs Japan tournament. Check it out below.