FINAL FURY News

Hey Fighters! 👊

The FINAL FURY Alpha Playtest is about to amp things up with our first major update which goes live TODAY!

We’ve got game-changing combat mechanics, a new challenger, and a new stage coming your way. All the news you need’s right here, below! Tomorrow we’re giving a deeper-dive look at the strategies and tactics you could use with Niko, the cybernetic-armed slugger!

Sparked your interest? Find more information (and electric puns) below…

[h2]New Fighter: Niko - Lightning-Fast and Hard-Hitting[/h2]



Ready to bring some high-voltage energy into the ring? Then Niko’s your new main! We’re giving you a quick look now, but look for tomorrow’s post where the devs give you some serious corner tactics on how to REALLY punish opponents as Niko!

Niko’s hit-and-run playstyle has you hammering opponents with his gorilla-like fists, then bounce out before anyone can react.

• ⚡ Phase Dash – Niko’s dashes chain together, letting him phase straight through obstacles! Projectiles, bomb triggers? They don’t even touch him. Blink, and he’s already on the other side, ready to strike!
  
• ⚡ Proton Punch – His signature move is a short-range strike packed with raw energy, capable
  

If you love speed, unpredictability, and rushing that @#!$ down, you need to try this electrifying scrapper!

Check out Niko by joining the Alpha Playtest NOW!



[h2]🛡️ New Universal Move – Reversal Shield: Defense Just Got Dangerous[/h2]



Rushdown players beware—FINAL FURY just got a game-changing new mechanic that flips the script on relentless pressure. Introducing the Reversal Shield, a universal countermeasure designed to add more depth to defensive play and stop mindless aggression in its tracks.

REVERSAL SHIELD’S IMPACT ON GAMEPLAY:

• 💥 Absorb attacks and charge your shield
  
• 💥 Unleash a shockwave to push back aggressive opponents
  
• 💥 Destroys projectiles and creates space to reset the fight
  
• 💥 Be Careful—mistime it, and you’ll be punished hard
  

Ever felt trapped in an opponent’s endless barrage with no way to fight back? That ends now.

The Reversal Shield lets you charge up energy as you absorb attacks. Time it right, and you can release a shockwave that destroys incoming projectiles and knocks back opponents, flipping momentum in an instant.

The Reversal Shield isn’t just defense—it’s a weapon. Use it wisely, and you’ll turn an opponent’s offense into your opportunity. Get ready to level up your strategy.

[h2]🏭 New Stage: Cybernetics Lab – A High-Tech Battleground[/h2]



Niko’s “Home” – the cybernetic labs where he was given his Vygor-power arms – is also his personal training ground. More accurately, it’s his QA testing room and his opponents are the test subjects.

Don’t get distracted by all the electronics and screens humming around the room, because Niko’s coming straight at you, full force and full speed!

[h2]🧠 Harder, Better, Faster, Smarter – The FINAL FURY AI Just Leveled Up[/h2]

Think you’ve got the single player mode all figured out? Not anymore. FINAL FURY’s latest update brings a complete AI overhaul, making every fight more unpredictable, more strategic, and more intense.

• 🔥 5 Difficulty Levels – From casual warm-ups to the ultimate challenge, can you handle the heat?
• 🧠 Smarter AI – No more simple robotic patterns. The AI analyzes your playstyle in real time, adapting its approach to keep you on your toes. Every fight feels fresh and unique—no two matches will play out the same.
  
• ☯️ Adaptive Combat – The AI evolves mid-fight, adjusting its strategy based on how you play. That one trick you kept using? It won’t work forever. Stay sharp, or get outplayed.
  

[h2]Thanks to Our Playtesters, Leaving Everything on the Mat[/h2]

Everything you’ve read here, couldn’t be possible without the continued playtesting that’s been happening. Everyone reading this and joining our tests is having a lasting impact on FINAL FURY’s development – and for that, we can’t thank you enough!

This update brings a serious jolt to the FINAL FURY Alpha Playtest, and we can’t wait to see what new strategies and insane fights come out of it.

Whether you’re mastering Niko’s mobility or perfecting your Reversal Shield mind games, it’s time to level up your play and what better way to do that than together!

🔥 Invite your friends — Join our Discord to gain access for your and your buddies

👀 Keep an eye out — More updates, tournaments, and surprises coming soon!

Fight on,
The FINAL FURY Team

Hey Fighters,

We’re thrilled to announce a major milestone in FINAL FURY’s journey: the Alpha Playtest is now live on Steam, complete with crossplay support on Quest! This exciting update ensures more players than ever can step into the arena—whether they’re duking it out via SteamVR or standing strong on Quest.

This phase marks the beginning of what we're calling an Alpha Playtest, where we’re working toward a more feature-complete product in preparation for Early Access. It’s an important milestone for the game’s development—not only does it allow us to connect with even more potential champions, but it also paves the way for what’s shaping up to be a real knockout for the game in ‘25.

We’ve got exciting updates on the horizon, but we need your help to make sure the foundation is rock solid before we start building.

[h2]Optimized for Both Platforms[/h2]

With this update, we’ve focused on ensuring stability, performance, and connectivity across platforms. Whether you’re on Quest or Steam, you can expect:

• Improved Stability: Smoother gameplay experiences with fewer interruptions.
  
• Network Enhancements: Seamless crossplay between Steam and Quest players, allowing you to challenge friends or opponents no matter where they’re playing.
  
• AI Improvements: Smarter, more responsive opponents that provide a greater challenge whether you’re testing offline or sharpening your skills for online battles.
  

[h2]Laying the Groundwork for the Future[/h2]

This release isn’t just about where we are—it’s about where we’re headed. With the groundwork for cross-platform updates in place, we’re now ready to bring exciting new content to both Steam and Quest players at the same time. Here’s what’s coming:

• New Moves: Fresh abilities for every character to keep combat dynamic and fun.
  
• New Characters: Diverse fighters with unique archetypes and playstyles.
  
• New Features: Exciting gameplay innovations and quality-of-life improvements.
  

This release ensures that all future updates will arrive rapidly and consistently across platforms, keeping every fighter ready for action.

Why Steam + Quest Crossplay Matters

With crossplay, we’re creating a unified FINAL FURY community. Whether you’re engaging in VR battles on Quest or playing on Steam, you can fight side-by-side—or against—players from both platforms.

This larger player base means faster matchmaking, more diverse opponents, and an even more vibrant competitive scene.

[h2]Your Feedback is Crucial![/h2]

Your thoughts are essential! Without your input, FINAL FURY will never become the definitive VR fighting game we envision. That’s why we’ve made it as easy as possible to share your feedback, no matter how you prefer to do so:

• Discord Feedback Channels and consolidated threads on Reddit and Steam.
  
• In-game and external surveys to gather your detailed insights.
  

We’re committed to working with you to make FINAL FURY the best it can be. Let’s do this together! 💪

[h2]Join the Fight Today[/h2]

There’s never been a better time to step into FINAL FURY’s thrilling battles. Whether you’re a seasoned Steam player or a Quest newcomer, the arena is open, the fights are fierce, and the opportunities for glory are endless.

💥 Download the Alpha Playtest now on Steam.
💥 Check your email for your Quest invite—or join our Discord.

Joining our Discord also allows you to connect with players, theorycraft, get exclusive news, and participate in community tournaments.

Fight on,
The FINAL FURY Team

[h3]Steam Next Fest Recap, Meta Quest & What’s Next[/h3]

Hey Fighters! 👊

First up—a big thank you to everyone who jumped into the FINAL FURY demo during Steam Next Fest! We loved seeing the new combat system in your hands.

You all came out swinging, evolving gameplay strats as you dove into the brawls–and we’re here for it! Sure, we were hoping you’d enjoy yourselves and give us some feedback, but you blew us away with the energy and insights you brought to the ring.





[h3]Highlights: Our First Tournament & Key Feedback[/h3]

One of our favorite moments? Running our first-ever community tournament! FINAL FURY’s top players squared off, and after some seriously intense matches, SupahEM emerged victorious as our first community champion! 🏆 Watching the community strategize, adapt, and battle for that title was incredibly rewarding and gave us new insights into how you approach combat.

We also had some fantastic conversations with you, sharing ideas and suggestions that will help us as we keep building. The feedback from the Next Fest demo was exactly what we needed to keep honing in on what makes FINAL FURY fun, challenging, and unique. So, again, thanks!



[h3]Keeping the Build Live (and Bringing it to Meta Quest!)[/h3]

Good news for those who want to keep the practice going—the FINAL FURY demo is sticking around on Steam! Look for some quality-of-life improvements and stability tweaks over time, so you can expect even smoother gameplay as we go. As part of this transition to a Playtest rather than a Demo you’ll need to redownload the game client on Steam.

Don’t worry, Meta Quest players, we didn’t forget about you. Keep reading, because we’ve got some awesome updates coming at you quicker than Tempest’s rush.

[h3]Major Update Coming in Early 2025![/h3]

Speaking of big plans, we’re excited for 2025—and you should be as well! Look for a few things including a major update inspired directly by your feedback. Expect more agency and counterplay options in combat. Want more ways to counter rushdown tactics? We hear you! We’re diving deep to make the core gameplay even more strategic and satisfying.

But that’s just the start. The next update kicks off our Alpha Playtest Phase where we drop new content and features!  Here’s a quick tale of the tape:

🥊More characters will join the fight over time!

🥊Fresh gameplay mechanics, updated on a regular basis.

Each update will push FINAL FURY closer to the full game experience we’re building together.





[h3]Get Ready for the Alpha Playtest – Coming to Quest & Steam![/h3]

Even better, the Alpha Playtest will be available on both Quest and Steam! It’s invite-only at first, so make sure you’re on our Discord so you can join us in this next stage of development. We need your help to see how the game performs on multiple platforms and to keep improving FINAL FURY together as a community.

Thanks again for all the enthusiasm and feedback. Every idea, every match, and every win helps us shape FINAL FURY into something special. Stay tuned for more—and we’ll see you in the ring! 🥊🔥

—The FINAL FURY Team

We’re thrilled to announce that FINAL FURY is part of Steam Next Fest. If you’ve been following our progress in previous blogs you’ll know that the team has been on quite the journey of discovery over the past year to find and tap into the essence of combat.

Now it’s your turn to discover the fruits of their labors firsthand. So what are you waiting for? Head over to our store page and download the demo!



[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Community Activities[/h2]

It wouldn’t be much of a festival without some fun things to do now would it?

We’re pumped to announce all the awesome FINAL FURY activities that are taking place during Steam Next Fest!

Whether you’re competing in our Double Elimination Tournament, climbing the ranks in the Leaderboard Chase, or just hanging out in the community, there’s something for every player.

And yes, there are some cool prizes up for grabs!

It’s all going down on Discord so head there for all the details but here’s a summary:



[h3]🎮 Leaderboard Chase [/h3]

📅 15 October 2024 - 10:00 CET / 00:00 PDT - Leaderboard Starts
📅 26 October 2024 - 18:00 CET / 09:00 PDT - Leaderboard Ends

Want to focus more on consistent grinding? Our Leaderboard Chase is here! It’s all about the combination of matches played and win ratio, so the more you fight—and win—the higher you’ll climb.

[h3]🏆 Double Elimination Tournament [/h3]

📅 18 October - 19:00 CET / 10:00 PDT - Tournament registration closes
📅 19 October - 10:00 CET / 00:00 PDT - Tournament begins
📅 19 & 26 October - 22:00 CET / 13:00 PDT - Saturday Sessions
📅 26 October - 22:00 CET / 13:00 PDT - Tournament winners announced!

Our tournament will follow a double elimination format, so even if you take a loss, you’ve still got a shot at the prize! And guess what? You can self-organize your matches at your convenience.

Signing up is easy - just add your details to this form. We’ll then draw the bracket randomly and post it so you know who you’re up against first.

Head over to Discord for the full rules and how to report your inevitable victories!

[h3]🎉 Pub Quiz & Competition Finale[/h3]

📅 26 October - 22:00 CET / 13:00 PDT - Pub Quiz

To wrap it all up, we’re hosting a Pub Quiz on October 26 to test your FINAL FURY knowledge, fighting game trivia, and gaming smarts!

Expect a fun mix of questions about FINAL FURY characters, mechanics, and VR facts, alongside more general gaming and fighting game trivia. It’s a great way to celebrate the event and win some final prizes.





[h2]Top FINAL FURY Pro-Tips from the Dev Team[/h2]

Alright, fighters, listen to your coaches!

We wanna get you ready for the big fight—so it’s a good thing you got us in your corner! The devs recently sparred for an internal tournament and we collected some of the best tips from our own FINAL FURY champs.

Here we go, in no particular order

[h3]🥊Normal Moves[/h3]

• It’s fun to punch as fast as you can, but don’t get too carried away! Punches won’t stop an opponent from grabbing you if your reflexes aren’t fast enough to counter them..
  
• Always be blocking! Don’t forget to put your arms up—block those incoming shots.
  
• Stay light on your feet! Always be ready to dash to dodge a grab and counter grab.
  

[h3]🥊Special Moves[/h3]

• Ranged attacks cancel each other out: Tempest’s Arctic Blasts and Glitch’s Tac-Bombs, for example.
  

[h3]🥊Neutral / Spacing[/h3]

• When in doubt, space it out. This one takes a little bit of practice (and some patience), but keep in mind the range of your opponent’s attacks before you go in swinging. Oftentimes, the fighter who plays the neutral game the best will come out on top.
  
• Classic fighting game tactics work! Try to bait an attack (like a throw or an Arctic Blast) from your opponent, then punish them as soon as they whiff!
  
• Be unpredictable! Don’t fall into a pattern; that’s a one-way ticket to getting yourself KO’d.
  

[h3]🥊Tempest[/h3]

• Arctic Blast like a pro! Form your hands to one side like you’ve got a snowball, then push out like you’re launching the attack!
  
• Try to be blocking constantly so it becomes much more comfortable to do the Artic Blast by moving your hands from the blocking position to the side of your neck.
  
• Artic Blast is more of a defensive ability than an offensive one, since Tempest's strong point is maintaining a constant attack.
  

[h3]🥊Glitch[/h3]

• Glitch has weaker punches, but a long reach. Use them to keep your opponent at bay.
  
• Glitch’s Tac-Bombs don’t hurt you! Use the trigger zone as a kind of shield. You can get closer to opponents and damage them if they go in for a grab.
  
• Glitch’s Tac-Bombs can be shot BEHIND your opponent. Apply enough offensive pressure, and you might be able to back them into the bomb’s trigger zones without them realizing it
  

[h3]“This isn’t working. We need to rethink things.”[/h3]

It’s not often you hear these words and it’s followed by good news. Yet, that’s exactly what happened after our FINAL FURY public playtest late last year. We had stages built out, animations made, and systems in place. We even got positive feedback from players! Still, it hit us like a long range haymaker from Glitch—we needed to rethink the combat controls.

In a VR fighting game. THAT isn’t a decision you make lightly when you’re so far along, but it was the absolute right call. We believe so much in the potential for FINAL FURY, from the dev team trenches to the studio heads of Kluge Interactive, we went quiet for a few months and got to work.


We chronicled a bit of this in a recent blog post, but today let’s dig deeper into what that involves: Going back to prototyping and drastically re-evaluating something so core to FINAL FURY’s design. Then, we’ve got a fun surprise for all you VR fighting fans (a new demo!)…but we’ll get to that in a minute.





[h3]Re-Prototyping How You Fight[/h3]

FINAL FURY’s original control scheme relied heavily on reflexes, requiring players to simultaneously juggle multiple inputs. In a game like Synth Riders, having complex gestures involving 3D floating elements works great as you feel a musical flow. In a fighting game, though, it pulls you out of the moment-to-moment tactics against an opponent.

So, how do you go about finding the right way to play? To avoid going down endless rabbit holes, we stuck to a “two-month rule” while exploring new control schemes: Have a clear goal for success or failure and two months to explore an idea.

“Respecting the timebox at all costs was hard but essential—it was the only way to answer key questions without getting lost in endless iterations,” says Game Design Director, Seb Samson.

Think about this re-prototyping process as if you’re mapping out a dungeon. The point is to not go in circles or miss out on items before finding the exit—with the “treasure” here being how we manage the cognitive load. That is, the game’s mechanics should be intuitive with complexity as an optional advanced layer when you apply strategy.

Here’s what we found, step-by-step, along the way.





[h3]Back To Basics[/h3]

Nothing was sacred–we went right back to the most basic core mechanics to ensure each aspect stood on its own. One mechanic at a time, we tweaked everything until it felt right.

Then we began testing basic combos.

1. Punching vs. Punching: Exploring timing differences makes an impact on how you play. Slower, more deliberate punches felt more impactful and satisfying than faster, weaker ones. Even now, we still explore the range between physically sound and instant punches. For instance, we removed a "fly back" animation during the final implementation post-prototype.
   
2. 
   
3. Moving and Punching: Adding movement introduced a new layer of complexity and fun. Here, dodging was tweaked for more fluidity, allowing players to smoothly evade incoming blows and set themselves up for a counterattack. [Here’s a pro-tip: Hold down the movement stick and if you see an incoming move, tap the dodge button at the right moment to set yourself up to respond.]
   
4. 
   
5. Blocking and Punching: Refining defensive mechanics around blocking and punching came next. In the first implementation of FINAL FURY, you had to hit symbols to block—you were relying on reflexes. The blocking needed to be more flexible and strategic, allowing for different hand positions and a more dynamic defense. Most importantly, clashes between player attacks and enemy blocks needed to feel fair and balanced.  
   

We made a point of building each combination of new controls as a self-sustained gameplay. It may sound head-slappingly obvious, but this became the turning point. We formed a solid foundation. Next comes the balancing act between complexity and accessibility, implementing strategic input that doesn't overwhelm the player.





[h3]Becoming Your Fighter: Special Moves and Gestures[/h3]

Everyone, deep down, wants to perform a Street Fighter-esque “HADOUKEN!” gesture—not through some half-circle joystick flip, but by moving your hands into position and feeling like it’s launching from your palms. We’re aiming for something to feel powerful, natural, and easy to pull off in FINAL FURY.

The catch: Gesture recognition needs fine-tuning to prevent conflicts with similar moves. If a player gears up to launch a distance attack, then plans to dash in, grapple, and punch, each requires bespoke movements. Playtests revealed that players often rest their arms between key moments, which could unintentionally trigger certain powers.

Take the grab. Originally, it was possible to perform punches from the sides, but that could conflict with grabs (and vice-versa). To solve this, we made grabs and punches more restricted, but mutually exclusive. We isolated the side zones for grabs—after all, both hands are used when you grapple a foe. This combination of creating zones and conditions made grabs more responsive. Better still, it opened the door to "anticipation" phases, creating opportunities for the opponent to react and also create feints to fake out players.

We similarly added proximity-based triggers for power moves. It made the system feel more natural and instinctive, reducing the need for complex gesture chains. The development of new animations for specific characters helped make these gestures feel distinct and meaningful in every case.





[h3]More Hands-On Testing![/h3]

Up to this point, it was just a small group spitballing and redefining the combat in FINAL FURY, according to Samson. The real test began as we shared our prototypes with the larger FINAL FURY team—and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

Everyone appreciated the new direction and felt more connected to the action. We also gained invaluable insights. One great example: People play differently—standing or sitting—and we need to account for that. This highlighted the importance of more flexible controls.

Also, not all gestures are created equal. How you instinctively form a ranged attack can vary whether you grew up playing Street Fighter or watching something like Dragonball Z. [HINT: In FINAL FURY, form your hands together to one side of your body to form Tempest’s Arctic Blast attack.]

Making adjustments in gesture detection and how throwing punches feel is an ongoing process even now. The learnings we hope to gain as we continue development doesn’t stop here. In fact, this is as good a segue as any for some exciting news we have coming!



[h3]A New Tech Demo, Playable Oct 14[/h3]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

We took the time to go back and redesign core combat components and bring it to where we are now. The results of that hard work will soon be in your hands. A demo is coming during Steam Next Fest 2024.

So where do you come in? Glad you asked! Starting Oct 14 YOU get to experience everything that we’ve been talking about here. We have a demo going up and you are invited to join us! You will get to play as two of the FINAL FURY fighters – Glitch and Tempest – each with unique skill sets and play styles. Spar offline against AI or challenge a buddy online, we want to put you into the intergalactic arena and hear what you think!

Then, join our Discord and tell us what works — or what could use more work — as we continue building this VR fighting game of the future.

We couldn’t have come this far without the love and support of our larger community and we appreciate everything you bring to the fight even now, in these early rounds.





[h3]Community Tournament[/h3]

As a celebration of our involvement in Steam Next Fest we want to find out who in the community is the king or queen of the intergalactic ring. To that end, we’re running a tournament to answer that question.

There are more details on our Discord but if you want to get involved sign-up to participate by filling in this form.