Skullgirls 2nd Encore News

Hello,

Today we are continuing with some experimental balance changes for the cast. This is just the first update of many, and more system / character changes should be expected. Characters that have gotten changes may still receive more of them later. Characters that have no changes are most likely still being worked on, such as Black Dahlia, Umbrella, Painwheel, etc.

While we do our best to monitor all hot spots of discussion around character balance, the best place to discuss these changes where we can see them is our official forum. Feedback in Discord and Steam Forums / Comments for example are seldom checked.

Bug reports are welcome in the official Discord and our forum!

Discord: discord.gg/skullgirls

Skullheart: https://skullheart.com/


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[h3]SYSTEM / ALL[/h3]

• Counter hit assist calls now scale combo damage to 75%, instead of the 90% in retail.
  (... Most notably, this slightly reduces the reward off DP assist calls and requires a cleaner hit for characters to reach their max damage potential.)
• Starting a combo on a character that has 240 Drama (Undizzy) or higher will now scale the combo damage immediately to 35%. (Hits against opponents at entering or starting at 240+ Undizzy continues to scale to 55% just as it does in previous versions)
  
• When using a Burst to escape a combo that started at 240 or higher Undizzy, that Burst will be forced to a Super Gold Burst.
  (... Super Gold Burst is the one denoted by gold Burst sparks, which keeps all of your Undizzy on activation, and can not be punished. Currently it triggers when a Burstable combo goes on for longer than 90F, or when activating a Burst against a throw that started a new chain... that one! It doesn't have a name, so let's try Super Gold Burst?) (... Carrying on the tradition of adding more layers to IPS and Undizzy systems when they are not protecting players effectively, we are stepping in and stopping sluggish, long, looping combos at 240+ Undizzy that end in a Burst Bait / Throw (back into itself) in a pretty heavy handed way. Consider a different strategy that is more "two player" and interesting for players and spectators.)
• Fixed a bug where characters could perform a dash out of punch normal assists when they were used as a Stunt Double.
  
• Fixed a bug where the OTG bounce color on sliding knockdown would sometimes show a red bounce ring instead of a blue bounce ring.
  

[h3]ANNIE[/h3]

• Star Cancel is input now LP + LK instead of LP + LK + One other button, in addition to the existing 3K and 3P inputs. This should be easier to trigger with all input devices.
  
• Star Cancel can no longer be done unless Annie is attacking.
  
• Star Cancel can no longer be done for the first handful of frames of LP and LK normals to prevent accidental use.
  
• Increased cHK slide recovery (without making contact) by 7F.
  
• Reduced hitstun on jMP against airborne opponents only by 2F.
  
• Reverted most damage nerfs, new damage values compared against RETAIL are as follows:
  
  • cHP: 1200 → 1000.
    
  • sfHP: 1300 → 1200.
    
  • Destruction Pillar [H]: 1100 → 1000.
    
  • Meteor Strike: Forced 50% scaling on DHC still, from last patch.
    
  • Star Power damage from stars on normals is increased to old values. 550 for jHP, 650 for others.
    
• Added VO to the Star Power version of Re Entry.
  

[h3]BIG BAND[/h3]

• Tympany Drive
  
  • The very first hitbox frame has been shrunk, for a single frame.
    (... This is the frame that is post flash unblockable if you were not already blocking before the Blockbuster started.)
    
  • The two landing frames from Tympany after Big Band blocks are now in a counter hit state, and tracked by frame data display in training mode.
    (... It's now more obvious if the move was punished or not, and using the counter hit bonus is more reliable.)
  • Reduced blockstun of the looping hits before the final hit.
    
  • Added 6F of extra recovery to the move if it was blocked.
    (... Up close, Tympany is now -19. Previously, Tympany could be made safe by hitting with the last active frames of one of the looping hits before the final hit, since the looping hits had significantly higher blockstun. Using this strategy is still possible, but it will only be -14 now at best on block.)
• Noise Cancel (Parry)
  
  • Parry window (tap): 17 → 15.
    
  • Parry window (hold): 12 → 10.
    
  • Parry window (leaving hitstun, blockstun, wakeup, etc, tap): 18 → 16.
    

[h3]CEREBELLA[/h3]

• Unbreakable Elbow (jD+MP)
  
  • Fixed a bug where pressing down + MP on the exact frame Cerebella left the ground from a jump would cause jMP to start instead of jD+MP.
    
  • When jD+MP is performed as an instant overhead after leaving the ground, it will now floor bounce for a combo that is easy to convert from, which doesn't use OTG.
    (... In place of the often discussed JHP overhead conversion, jD+MP is becoming a more powerful overhead instead as a compromise.)
• jHP: Now an overhead if done after a glide of any length, or if done while not ascending.
  
• jHP: Increased max glide speed by 20%.
  
• jHP: Increased momentum Cerebella keeps after gliding by 50%.
  
• If Cerecopter successfully touches the enemy point character, cancelling into Diamond Dynamo will never autocorrect to avoid Cerebella turning around unintentionally and getting punished for it. Does not apply on whiff or when hitting assists.
  

[h3]ROBO-FORTUNE[/h3]

• H Beam: As an assist, it can only do a maximum of 4 hits (the amount of hits it does when far away) regardless of her range to the opponent.
  
• H Beam: Increased recovery as an assist by 26F.
  
• Magnetic Trap is no longer unblockable while rising when done as a DHC.
  

[h3]ELIZA[/h3]

• Eliza can now use Crimson Scourge without being in Sekhmet form, after performing her taunt, Scarlet Ladies. Most notably, this gives her a powerful DHC option that allows for combos afterward.
  
• Crimson Scourge no longer drains life or creates blood droplets if it connects with a character that has no life.
  
• Taunt (Scarlet Ladies) no longer pulls in nearby blood droplets.
  
• Osiris Spiral [M] now pulls in blood droplets, using her old taunt behaviour.
  
• Throne of Isis now performs a red bounce instead of a blue bounce, allowing OTG pickups.
  
• Sekhmet
  
  • Sekhmet can now be counter hit out of attacks if she is hit with an armor breaking move. She will take bonus damage, and lose Drama (Undizzy) appropriately.
    
  • Increase Sekhmet jump landing recovery by 6F.
    
  • Increase Sekhmet jump / super jump startup by 2F.
    
  • If Sekhmet sH (Axe) is blocked by the point character, Sekhmet can no longer use Sekhem Rebound (backflip) even if it hit an assist or some other object like Lenny.
    
  • Adjusted jM damage: 1000 → 900.
    
  • Adjusted sH damage: 1100 → 900.
    

[h3]DOUBLE[/h3]

• Catellite Lives (Cat Heads):
  
  • Reduced knock up on forward advancing hits.
    
  • Increased hitstun by 2F.
    (... Both of these changes combined should make it much less likely for the victim to fall out of the hits for longer range Catellite Lives confirms.)
• Flesh Step projectile invincibility starts 3F earlier, and it now builds a small amount of meter like every other special move on whiff.
  
• Hornet Bomber [L]: Increased height of the physical collision box, and hitbox, during the first hit of the move.
  (... This move should be more consistent about hitting opponents right in front of Double and less likely to whiff or pass over the opponent in awkward ways.)
• Luger Replica
  
  • L: Knockback against air reduced to 11, from 12. (Leaves victim closer)
    
  • L: Knockup against air increased from 12 to 12.5.
    (... These values are half way between the older versions of Luger, and the last version of Luger live in retail, for context.)
  • M: Increase blockstun by 4F.
    
  • H: Decrease blockstun by 2F.
    (... M Luger is now +0 on block like H Luger was before, and H Luger is now -2 on block. The powerful combo starting bullet ends Double's turn more consistently, and the lower reward bullet can be spaced to be plus if she is playing her range effectively.)

[h3]FILIA[/h3]

• cMK: Adjust pattern of alternating between push back and vacuuming, such that the final hit is now the vacuum hit.
  
• Increased the landing DHC window after Fenrir Drive by 3F, to make it a little easier to get the full damage off this Blockbuster without accidentally missing the DHC window.
  

[h3]FUKUA[/h3]

• Forever a Clone (QCB+K) no longer drains Fukua's health while she is holding her shadow.
  (... We'll start with this experiment for now and see if we need more changes at a later date.)

[h3]MS. FORTUNE[/h3]

• Adjusted Ms. Fortune's normal jump animation. Her feet are now stretched downwards for a handful of frames (like almost every other character) after she leaves the ground, to prevent her from tucking into a tiny ball on the very first frame prejump is completed.
  
• Adjusted Cat Scratch (QCF+P) metergain for whiffing each strike, when the head is on: 2.5%x3 → 1.5%x3.
  
• Adjusted Cat Scratch (QCF+P) metergain per swipe: 5%/5%/5% → 4%/3%/2%
  
• Head
  
  • When Ms. Fortune's head is struck with a light attack and Decap Attack triggers, it will launch the opponent less high, and has 2F less hitpause on contact, compared to M and H normals.
    (... With this, head loops should be effectively removed, and headless Decap Attack pressure with cLK, etc, is slightly less powerful on block.)
    
  • Fixed a bug where Feline Allergies (Sneeze) could be used shortly after Ms. Fortune was in hitstun.
    
  • When Ms. Fortune goes into hitstun, the head immediately goes into hitstun even if it was performing or recovering from an attack. This does not apply to Sneeze once it has started.
    (... This notably removes the ability for Ms. Fortune to trade with the opponent while also hitting her own head, and getting a full combo off the Decap Attack trade.)
  • Increased head lockout time on Feline Allergies from 50F to 85F.
    
  • Increased head lockout time when hit by opponent non-projectile attacks from 15F to 60F.
    
  • When Ms. Fortune's head is near the camera edge or corner, the hurtbox will be wider. This only applies when it's idling, on cooldown, or being hit.
    (... This should make it easier to hit the head with moves like cLK when it's right under and behind you, and it is easier to lock the head repeatedly.)
  • OMNOMNOM now triggers a blue bounce instead of a red bounce, preventing OTG follow ups.
    
• Damage Tuning:
  
  • Headless sHK: 1050 → 950
    
  • Head on sHP: 1000 → 975
    
  • Airborne El Gato: 900/1000/1100 → 800/950/1000
    
  • Grounded El Gato (From Cat Scratch / Headless): 1100 → 975
    
  • Final Cat Scratch Hit: 950/1100/1250 → 800/900/1000
    
  • Decap Attack: 300 → 100
    
• Fiber Upper
  
  • All versions are now only strike invincible when the head is on, and fully vulnerable when the head is off.
    
  • Added 2F of extra recovery to M Fiber Upper, and 4F of extra recovery to H Fiber Upper.
    
  • Adjusted pushback on block.
    
  • On whiff only, Ms. Fortune must wait an additional 2F to jump away from M Fiber, and 4F to jump away from H Fiber.
    
• Cat Strike (Head Bowl)
  
  • Increased invincibility by 1F to prevent it from trading.
    
  • Increased the window for the head to stagger the opponent, fixing issues where the first hit would connect but the second hit wouldn't stagger.
    
  • Lowered the hitbox height for the initial strike to make it easier to evade by jumping.
    
  • Forces 75% scaling.
    
• jLK
  
  • Adjusted hitbox to have a smaller hit region directly under her.
    
  • Can no longer hit cross up in any circumstances.
    
  • Increased recovery by 4F.
    
  • Is now a mid while rising, instead of overhead.
    
• sLP
  
  • Added two frames of recovery
    
  • Added a hurtbox to match the hit region during active frames.
    
  • Reduced range of the hitbox slightly.
    

[h3]VALENTINE[/h3]

• Fixed a bug where Acquisitive Prescription (counter time stop) against Sekhmet would not revert Sekhmet to Eliza form when Sekhmet was hit afterwards.
  
• All versions of Savage Bypass (Air) will now produce a hitbox for at least one frame, improving consistency and ensuring the move always hits when opponents are nearby.
  (... This does allow for new routes, especially in the corner, and may require damage adjustments.)
• cHP
  
  • Increased physical extent height to prevent Valentine from sliding under airborne opponents and whiffing.
    
  • cHP will no longer move Valentine forwards if the opponent is right next to her.
    
  • Slightly extended the top of the hitbox backwards.
    (... We're sacrificing some of Valentine's niche cross under resets with cHP to make the move more consistent and a better anti-air.)
• cLK: Increase hitstun by 1F to make it combo into the second hit of cMK, in the event the first hit of cMK whiffs.
  
• cMK: Second hit now vacuums back towards Valentine.
  
• cMP: Reduced startup by 2F.
  
• jHK: Increase hitstun on the first hit by 4F.
  
• jLP: When performed from a backdash cancelled into air dash (BDAD), it now has a taller physical collision box to prevent her from crossing over the opponent, much like Filia's jLK.
  
• sMP: The first slash downwards now pulls opponents down further.
  
• sMP: Increased hitstun on the first slash, and the follow-up sawing hits slightly, to prevent unlucky cancel timings into other moves uncomboing.
  
• Added 4F of hitstop (up from 0) to the final hit of EKG Flatliner so that there's a longer window to perform a DHC on the final hit without performing an unintended side switch.
  
• Extended the hitbox of Forbidden Procedure backwards a little bit so it's possible to revive every character when they are dead in the corner if Valentine's back is to the corpse.
  
• Vial Hazard Type C, AKA: Orange Vial.
  
  • Input delay values per level are reduced - Lv1/2/3: 4/6/9 → 3/5/7 frames of delay respectively.
    
  • The level 3 version now goes away if Valentine is hit at all, and no longer requires her to be hit with a Blockbuster.
    
  • The level 1 and 2 version now go away if Valentine blocks a hit.
    (... We are giving Valentine some reasonable buffs and "QoL" while reducing the effectiveness of looping Orange Vial on victims. If a victim under the effects of input delay manages to fight back against Valentine while she's in control of the situation, they are rewarded for their bravery more than before.)

[h3]PEACOCK[/h3]

• Added a new intro! You can force it to happen by holding two punches or two kicks during the fight loading screen.
  
• Victims gain more meter from blocking or being hit with Peacock's projectiles, equivalent to how Robo-Fortune's lasers work. This impacts Item Drop, Georges, and BANG! BANG! BANG! (H).
  
• Reduce damage of Argus Agony bullets: 180 → 150. Max damage 1530 → 1350.
  
• Reduce block advantage on cHK by 3F.
  
• Shadow of Impending Doom will lose its hitbox if Peacock goes into hitstun, to prevent it from trading in her favor long after she is hit.
  
• Georges
  
  • Reduce advantage of L George by 2F on block. Now -4 on block.
    
  • If Peacock is hit with a physical attack (non projectile), all active George bombs will begin to blink and count down to an automatic explosion. (NOTE: There is a known issue where the blinking is not visible on Mac and Linux - we're working on it!) The time it takes for each type of George to explode varies and is as follows:
    
  • L: 60F.
    
  • M: 15F. (... Due to the speed at which Boxcar George travels, this still may be too long...)
  • H: 20F.
    
  • If George hits an opponent after these timers have started, it will force 50% combo scaling.
    (... Using George early to cover Peacock has always been a huge part of her defensive game, and using George to force a trade or making the opponent back off is still possible even after these changes, but when this does happen, the reward has been reduced in the form of forced scaling. Calling a M/H George a single frame before going into hitstun however will no longer save her, and L George will no longer walk across the entire stage to interrupt a combo. Let's experiment with these changes and see if this is a reasonable middle ground.)
• BANG! (M)
  
  • Now has 8F of extra recovery in any situation where it does not successfully hit the enemy point character.
    
  • Reduced blockstun by 3F.
    
  • Now pulls the victim towards her if they block it while grounded.
    
  • Reduced the length of the hitbox slightly.
    
  • Increased Peacock's hurtbox after active frames so it's slightly easier to punish her.
    (... These changes, combined with the Lenny frame data changes when done from M Bang described below, should make this definitively unsafe as other DP type moves. No more awkwardly hitting them with the tip of the sword and having it be awkward to punish, no more whiffing M Bang and doing another one if they aren't in position to whiff punish, no more cancelling into Lenny at will to reduce the risk, etc. The powerful zoner needs to commit to her reversal, and if it doesn't work, she should be punished, full stop.)
• Lonesome Lenny
  
  (... After reading discussion, we opted to give Lenny numerous adjustments while still keeping it a level 1, rather than leaving it as is and making it a level 2.)
  • Damage: 3800 → 2750.
    
  • Chip: 800 → 600.
    
  • Lenny will hit nearby assist characters and push them away when placed, forcing them to drop out of the combo in most situations.
    
  • No longer deals any bonus damage on counter hit.
    
  • Reduced how far forward Lenny moves when hit by allied attacks and projectiles by 15%.
    
  • Peacock now builds zero meter while Lenny is out and she is the point character.
    
  • Peacock has more startup when the move is canceled into from BANG! (M).
    
  • Peacock has more recovery when the move is used as a DHC or when cancelled into from BANG! (M).
    

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(Version 3.7.0)

Today's update is a small patch to address a few issues on Steam since Marie's full release.

If you are still experiencing the issues described below, you can report bugs in our official Discord or on our official forums.

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/skullgirls

Skullheart Forums: https://skullheart.com/

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ACHIEVEMENTS

• Fixed an issue where achievements were not unlocking for Steam.
  
• Verified achievements should be re-triggerable.
  
  • Most achievements track progress in the game's save file. Doing the action associated with the achievement should prompt it to unlock if the criteria have been met. EG: If you should have "The Kitchen Sink" achievement unlocked, hitting an opponent with Peacock's "Shadow of Impending Doom" once should retrigger the achievement.
    
  • Some achievements don't track progress in the save data and must be completed again. We apologize for the inconvenience.
    

STORY VO

• A specific situation with legacy Steam DLC could cause Story VO not to play. This issue has been fixed.
  

PERFORMANCE

• Optimized performance for some new graphical effects that were implemented in the last update. Even further optimizations are arriving in one of our next updates.
  

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(Build version 3.6.10)

Hey everyone,

It has been a LONG road, but the final character of the Season 1 Pass is finally here. Marie makes her grand official release simultaneously on all systems TODAY Tuesday 26th March!

Read on for the full details of this release, including features that were previously only available in the Beta builds on Steam, and updates on the remaining contents of the Season 1 Pass.
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[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

If you own the Season One Pass, or purchase Marie’s DLC individually, here's what you get:

• [h3]NEW STAGES[/h3]
  The Skullgirl herself arrives with not one, but TWO new stages!
  
  
  Hilgard’s Castle is the former home of Marie, but its once majestic walls have crumbled and been overtaken by nature.
  
  
  The Nightmare version of the stage reimagines the stage in unsettling shades and is haunted by the ghosts of Marie’s past.
  
  
• [h3]NEW MUSIC TRACKS[/h3]
  Each of the new stages comes with their own music. Hilgard’s Castle is accompanied by “All That Remains”, and the Nightmare stage wails with the guitars of “All That Endures” Both tracks were composed by Darren Malley and can be listened to on our Youtube channel.
  
  
• [h3]STORY MODE[/h3]
  The impossible has happened: the Skull Heart has been destroyed while Marie has been spared. Where will Marie's new lease on (un)life lead...?
  
  
• [h3]PALETTES[/h3]
  A maid of Marie’s high standards can’t just have one outfit - she comes with 29 color palettes!
  
  
• [h3]TUTORIALS/TRIALS[/h3]
  Become a master of the undead in Marie’s personalized tutorials & combo trials.
  

[h2]SEASON ONE PASS EXCLUSIVES[/h2]
For those who have purchased the Season One Pass you also get:

• [h3]ALTERNATE "GOTH MARIE" VOICE PACK[/h3]
  Let the bodies hit the floor with this exclusive alternate voice pack!
  
• [h3]SEASON ONE BONUS PALETTE [/h3]
  An extra bonus palette is available for Season One Pass holders.
  

• [h3]NEW PALETTES[/h3]
  
  
  New palettes first introduced in Skullgirls Mobile have been added to 2nd Encore with this update!
  Double, Robo-Fortune, Cerebella, Squigly, Parasoul, Filia, Annie, Umbrella, Ms. Fortune, Peacock, Valentine, and Beowulf all get new colors.
  
  
• [h3]STAGE UPDATES[/h3]
  
  Over the years many stages have been added to 2nd Encore, including alternate versions of existing stages. To make it easier to scroll through the full stage list, stages that share the same music but with slight visual differences are now selectable by pressing UP or DOWN on the stage selection screen.
  
  
  Speaking of alternate stages, to celebrate the launch of the Skullgirls Championship Series 2024, a new stage has been added!
  
  Additionally the stage "SGCS Arena (2021)" can no longer be rolled when using RANDOM to select a stage. You can still select it manually by going to the NMO Arena Stage and using the new Up/Down buttons.
  
  
• [h3]NEW SOVIET ANNOUNCER VOICE PACK[/h3]
  As a replacement for a voice pack that was removed last summer, enjoy a brand new “Soviet Announcer” voice pack by none other than the voice of the TF2 Heavy himself - Gary Schwartz!
  
  
• [h3]SOUNDTRACK AND DIGITAL ART COMPENDIUM[/h3]
  The Soundtrack has been updated with the new track "All That Endures", from Hilgard’s Castle (Nightmare). You can get the soundtrack here:
  https://store.steampowered.com/app/1542600/
  
  The Digital Art Compendium has also been updated with all of Marie’s thousands of animation frames, concept art and other production art. We recently made the Compendium completely free if you own Skullgirls 2nd Encore on Steam, so download your copy today!
  https://store.steampowered.com/app/1549100/
  
  

• Added new visual effects to "Push Block Guard Cancels" to indicate when a PBGC window is possible, and when it is successfully activated.
  Watch out for the green shield flash here:
  
• Fixed a bug where some characters were not using idle hurtboxes during landing frames. The following characters are impacted: Beowulf, Big Band, Eliza, Annie, and Umbrella.
  
• Updated VFX for Valentine's Vial Hazard special move to now use different art for the three debuff types.
  
• Adjusted visual effects and lighting when characters are impacted by palette adjusting VFX, such as Parasoul's fire effect, Annie's galaxy space dust effect, Robo-Fortune's electrification effect, Black Dahlia's freeze effect, etc, to no longer be impacted by stage lighting conditions. Flickering lights involved with these effects should be less distracting.
  
• Integrated some previously unused voice lines for old characters when fighting against Marie, both for her boss form and her playable form.
  
• Fixed a bug where Black Dahlia would not flinch like other characters when being hit during some throw attacks, like Cerebella's Pummel Horse.
  

• Added a new section to the Art Gallery for Marie, with new unlockable art.
  
• When declining a match in Quick Match, or recently finishing a match with a player, you will no longer match with that player again for a few minutes.
  
• Kicked players can no longer rejoin the lobby that they are kicked from.
  
• Adjusted the position of the timer on character select when playing online, to prevent it from covering up Marie's newly added square.
  

[hr][/hr]

As we mentioned in the 2024 Roadmap Post, with the SG2E Season 1 Pass winding down, the obvious question is - what comes next? While it’s tempting to dive right into a Season 2 Pass - we’ve instead opted to pause for a moment to step back and recalibrate our efforts a bit. What does that mean exactly?

[h3]ADDITIONAL VO[/h3]
In addition to what’s already been released (including free bonus voice packs for Umbrella, Black Dahlia, and Marie), there is still a significant amount of VO that we were planning to include in the Season Pass that has not been added yet, including:

• ANNIE ALTERNATE VOICE PACK (English)
  
• SEASON PASS CHARACTER STORY MODE VO (English)
  
• SEASON PASS CHARACTER COMBAT VO (Japanese)
  

As it turns out, the logistics for all of these has proven to be a bit more involved than we had originally anticipated. As such, in order to ensure that everything is done to the quality level that we (and the community) expects, we unfortunately are NOT planning to release this content in 2024.

Nonetheless, while the timetable isn’t what we originally hoped for, we take our commitments seriously, and we are still planning to release it in 2025. As always, we appreciate your patience, support, and understanding!

[h3]FREE SGM PALETTES[/h3]
As noted earlier, some palettes first introduced in Skullgirls Mobile have been added to 2nd Encore with this update. While the release timing is a little up in the air, we are planning to provide future Mobile palettes FOR FREE to every Skullgirls 2nd Encore player too!

[h3]BALANCE PATCH[/h3]
Now that Marie has been released we’ll be taking a look at some of the rest of the cast and making some balance adjustments. Keep an eye out for updates to the Beta build on Steam soon!

[h3]NEW FEATURES / CONTENT / CHARACTERS[/h3]
Although we don’t currently have news on what to expect on this front at this time - just know that we are still intending to support both the console and mobile versions of Skullgirls for years to come. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months!
[hr][/hr]

The Skullgirls Championship Series 2024 is fully underway!

Compete in online regional events to qualify as one of the 8 lucky competitors to be flown out to Combo Breaker 2024 to compete in the Grand Finals!

Check out start.gg/sgcs2024 and be sure to register for one of many events in your area! Interested in hosting an SGCS point earning event? Check out the site for details - it’s easier than you might think!



We are currently planning to attend two live events this year – Combo Breaker (Chicago area, May 24-26) and Evo (Las Vegas, Jul 19-21). If you’re planning to attend, be sure to swing by the Skullgirls booth to meet us in person and score all kinds of FREE booth exclusive giveaways and prizes. We hope to see you there!
[hr][/hr]
Just in case you missed it, we recently announced that brand new characters will be added to Skullgirls Mobile this year as Guest Stars - summonable Assist type characters that can help out in fights. The first of these Guest Stars will be the adorable Minette!

Rough animation of one of Minette's Guest Star attacks.​

Guest Stars are currently planned for SGM only, but there’s always a chance they may make their way to SG2E one day!

It’s been an incredible journey, but after 3 years the final character in the Season 1 Pass is complete! We absolutely could not have hit this milestone without the support of our fans and players. A sincere thank you to everyone who’s stuck it out with us for 12 years of Skullgirls! Here’s to many more!

Stay tuned on our social media pages (Twitter, Facebook) for the latest info on all things Skullgirls!

- All of us at Hidden Variable Studios and Future Club
[hr][/hr]
(Steam Build version 3.6.9)

Today's update is a very small patch to address an issue regarding online spectating on Steam.

If you feel you are still experiencing this particular issue, you can report bugs in our official Discord, or our official forum in the Marie section.

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/skullgirls

Skullheart Forums: https://skullheart.com/

[hr][/hr]
SPECTATING

• Fixed an issue where spectating online would sometimes disconnect abruptly before a match ended.
  

[hr][/hr]
(Build version 3.6.8)

To ring in the new year, we’re excited to share these FREE gifts for everyone in the community!

NEW SOVIET ANNOUNCER VOICE PACK
As a replacement for a voice pack that was removed last summer, enjoy a brand new “Soviet Announcer” voice pack by none other than the voice of the TF2 Heavy himself - Gary Schwartz!

The new announcer pack is now available in both versions of Skullgirls 2nd Encore available on Steam (Retail & Marie Alpha), and will be coming to console platforms with Marie’s full release.

NEW PALETTES
Many of you have seen some of these palettes in Skullgirls Mobile, now you can enjoy them in Skullgirls 2nd Encore!

The new palettes are in both versions* of the game on Steam (Retail & Marie Alpha), and will be coming to console platforms with Marie’s full release.

* For now, the new Double and Filia palettes will only be available in the Marie Alpha due to technical limitations.
NEW STAGE - SKULLGIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES 2024
In celebration of the Skullgirls Championship Series starting up again in 2024, the NMO Arena is now gilded in gold! Try out this new stage first in the Marie Alpha build along with a small update to the stage selection system - stages that share the same music are now grouped in the stage selector, and you can press UP and DOWN to select from different variants of the same stage.



DIGITAL ART COMPENDIUM
Many players (including those who purchased the Season Pass on other platforms) have asked us about how they can get access to the DAC.

We've decided to make the Digital Art Compendium on Steam FREE for all players!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1549100/Skullgirls_Digital_Art_Compendium/
(Note: You must own a copy of Skullgirls 2nd Encore on Steam to access the Art Compendium.)

Thanks so much once again for an amazing 2023 – we can’t wait to reveal everything we have in store in 2024 and beyond!

Here’s to a new year of Skullgirls from all of us at Hidden Variable and Future Club!

The full update notes with other changes can be found below:

UPDATE NOTES:

3.5.16 (Retail)
• Added a total of 10 new palettes across multiple characters.
  
• Added new Soviet Announcer voice pack.
  
3.5.17 (Beta)
• Added a total of 12 new palettes across multiple characters.
  
• Added new Soviet Announcer voice pack.
  
• Added Marie’s Tutorials and Trials (English Only).
  
• Added the new SGCS 2024 Stage.
  
• Added a new Lobby Title for Black Dahlia.
  
• Added a new Lobby Title for Marie.
  
• The Hilgard Castle stage now has different variants for the animals and weather present.
  
• Stage Selection Sets
  
  • Updated stage select to now support stage sets.
    
  • Stages in the same set are now accessible using up/down inputs.
    
  • Stages in sets are identifiable by up/down arrows around the stage name.
    
  • The following stages are impacted: NMO Arena, SGCS Arena (2024), Evo Arena, SGCS Arena (2021), Little Innsmouth, Little Innsmouth (Night), Lab 8, Lab 8 (Empty), Grand Cathedral, Grand Cathedral (Night).
    
• Updated the look of the PBGC visuals that hint when a PBGC is possible.
  
• Characters now flash green again when performing a successful PBGC.
  
• Fixed a bug where Annie's Star Power music wasn't playing on activation.
  
• Fixed a bug where Annie's Gravity Crash still required 1 bar of Dramatic Tension to activate mid air.
  
• Fixed a bug where some characters were not using idle hurtboxes during landing frames. The following characters are impacted: Beowulf, Big Band, Eliza, Annie, and Umbrella.
  
• Marie
  • Hilgard's Haymaker now has higher priority than Hop To It, if inputting QCF + LP/MK, etc.
    
  • Fixed a bug where Marie's intros that were not the piano intro were not playing.
    
  • Increase Suction Obstruction (whiff) recovery by 4F.
    
  • Reduced Marie Go 'Round armor hits from 2 to 1.
    
  • Repetitive Skeleton Impact provides better protection from "while rising" unblockables after being avoided.
    
  • Reduced damage by 50 on the following moves: jMP, sMP, Marie Go 'Round (H), sMK, sLK, sHK, jMK, cLK, cHP.
    
  • Reduced cHK damage from 1100 to 1000.
    
  • Reduced Hilgard Haymaker damage from 700/950/1200, to 650/850/1000.
    
  • Hilgard Haymaker now forces a minimum of 70% damage scaling on hit.
    
  • Hop To It
    
    • Reduced number of hits from 9 to 7.
      
    • Reduced initial launch distance from Marie's vacuum on the M and H strengths.
      
    • The bunny jumps less far.
      
      

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(Version 3.6.7)