New Guilty Gear “a complete reconstruction of the franchise,” says series general director

The newly announced Guilty Gear game will be “a complete reconstruction of the franchise,” Guilty Gear series general director Daisuke Ishiwatari said in a Twitter message to fans.

Arc System Works recently confirmed that the fighting game will be playable at the ArcRevo World Tour Final 2019 on November 16 and 17 at the UC Irvine Student Center in Irvine, California. And while the company has yet to officially announce platforms, the “Demo Game Corner” section of the official schedule for the event noted that the new Guilt Gear will be playable on PlayStation 4.

Get the full message from Ishiwatari below.

Hi, everyone!

This is Daisuke Ishiwatari, the general director of the Guilty Gear series.

I hope you have enjoyed the reveal trailer of our latest title. There isn’t much I can divulge at this time, but I’d just like to mention that this newest title is being developed with one goal in mind: To create a game both new and existing players alike would want to get their hands on.

The core concept this time is unlike those of the past titles—it is neither “evolution” nor “returning to roots”; nor is it an addition or subtraction of elements from existing titles. What we’re pursuing is a brand new experience for Guilty Gear. To achieve that goal, we’ve disassembled the current franchise into fragments and sifted out the pieces that make it unique and charismatic, using those pieces to have a complete reconstruction of the franchise.

What we’re undertaking is a full-frontal confrontation with the essence of the fighting game genre—a tremendous challenge for Guilty Gear. It is a high risk move on our part. However, we have an accumulation of plentiful resources and experience, a clear vision of our ideals, and the excitement towards a future of a new possibility.

Although we do not know what this path awaits us ahead, we as the development team look forward to the future of this never-ending pursuit. In the process of this journey, we hope that we will be able to share the excitement and joy we’ve encountered with all of you.

“A game is a bridge that connects people.” Some may comment that this statement is an exaggeration, but I firmly believe in it as I continue to develop games. Please do look forward to further updates.

— Daisuke Ishiwatari, general director of the Guilty Gear series