Fighting game updates have changed a lot since the constant iterations of classics like Street Fighter 2. Players bought new versions such as Champion Edition or Turbo: Hyper Fighting for new characters and mechanics. The biggest competitive impact at the time was balance changes. That one reliable combo you loved in the original might no longer work in the New Challengers.
Modern fighting games, barring exceptions like Street Fighter V, focus on updates instead of ports with additional content. These instantly downloadable console patches, first appearing in Unreal Championship, introduce bug fixes, character balance changes, and sometimes even new modes. The community loves updates for revitalizing their favorite games. Debates surrounding buffs or nerfs engage players of all skill levels, but there’s more to updates than simply changing the game.
Patches evolved the fighting game community. The character variety is better, glitches no longer become mechanics, the barrier of entry for beginners is lower, and the competitive meta consistently changes.
Character variety before fighting game patches
The difference in character variety between classic arcade fighting game tournaments and modern iterations on console is clear. Let’s look at one of the most legendary and long-lasting games of the genre – Marvel vs Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes.
First, watch this top 8 from 2007:
Now compare that to a 2019 tournament:
Same characters, right? Fighters like Magneto, Sentinel, Storm, and Cable reign over Marvel vs Capcom 2 in the “God tier” status, while only a few others can compete. That’s assuming the other people play optimally. All of the best players, titled “Titans,” still use those same characters with a few exceptions. If you don’t play a top tier fighter, you will not win.
Advanced mechanic or glitch?
Beyond the top tier rule, glitches that became mechanics also defined Marvel 2 and this era. Things like infinite combos, guard breaks (a precise attack on an incoming character that makes the following hit unblockable), unfly mode (turning on/off your flight mode to extend combos and pressure sequences, namely with Sentinel), and other unintended tools were necessary to dominate the competition. In the case of many retro games like Marvel 2, Smash Bros. Melee, and Capcom vs SNK 2 these glitch techniques are typically hard to pull off. This greatly increased the skill gap between newcomers and pros.
Stronger fighting game players and legacies
Without constant character changes, retooled mechanics, and bug fixes, the strongest players get stronger. While the lack of patches made the barrier of entry for new players much higher, they also strengthened the legacy of classic fighting games.
It’s amazing to compare the old Marvel vs Capcom 2 tournaments to more recent ones. Familiar faces surround the screens and you’re able to see how the meta has developed in real-time. The power levels of players change, not the game. This creates more organic competitive growth with no interference of updates to shift things in new directions. It also makes newcomers taking down big-name pros all the more iconic.
Patches impact competition through the possibility of change
The introduction of patches didn’t remove the strengths of fighting games, but introduced an all-new variable, the possibility of change. The community no longer plays the same game throughout its entire lifespan. Now players find glitches, top tiers, and poorly designed inclusions and await change immediately after release.
The competition’s meta constantly shifts and players must consistently adapt to even the smallest adjustment. DLC characters and balance changes that spark tier list updates define the current era of fighting games.
So how do good players continue to stay on top of the scene? They simply adapt. No Dragon Ball FighterZ (DBFZ) players stick to the same team from season to season. Every update requires competitors to swap their tools in order to counter and conquer the current meta. That means pick your favorite fighter, then find the top tier characters and assists that best suit your playstyle.
Patches “fix” the meta to keep modern fighting games fresh
These changes to the community aren’t universally loved, however, they bolstered both players and viewership throughout the entire scene. Patches for games like DBFZ save potentially poor design choices. The “Season 2” update hurt most of the competitive player base thanks to the “snap meta” (An era of the game where the strongest tool was to snap a character out and completely lockdown and mix up the incoming character. This was often repeated until the character died.) and powerful new characters such as GT Goku. Season 3 updated the mechanics and characters to remove the snap meta.
If DBFZ Season 2 was released in the days of Street Fighter 2, players would be stuck with the snap meta for the game’s entire lifespan, or worse, never given another iteration based on the update’s poor reception.
The evolution of a classic era
While each era of the fighting game genre has its fans and haters, both bring their own flavor to the competition. Their unique metas and stories define them. Modern updates are an evolution of classic iterations. Whether you like balance changes or not, patches are here to stay. So adapt.