Reinforced side-turn state system

Being at your opponent's side now applies different guard, hitstun, and combo rules than facing them head-on.

Introduced major & minor bounds

You can now bounce an airborne opponent off the ground and continue the combo afterward.

Removed OM-exclusive attacks

The universal P/K attack exclusive to Offensive Move has been removed. After moving with OM, the character's normal moves are used instead.

Abolished multi-direction throw escape

You can no longer input throw escapes in multiple directions within a single defensive window. Only one throw escape direction is accepted at a time.

Simplified throw escape directions

Standing throw escapes are unified into 3 directions — 4·5·6P+G — and crouching throw escapes into 1·2·3P+G.

Added guard throw escape

You can now input a throw escape in one direction while holding guard. A strike will be blocked, and a throw from the chosen direction will be escaped.

Abolished 0-frame throws

Throws that used to connect instantly the moment your opponent's hitstun was caught (0F throws) have been removed. Normal throws now always go through a startup motion.

Abolished throw clash

The system where a throw and certain strikes colliding would cancel both actions has been removed.

Gain side position on a successful evade

Precisely evading an opponent's attack now puts them into a side-turned state against you.

Failed evade hits now count as counter

If you choose the wrong evade direction and get hit by a circular or semicircular attack, it now registers as a counter hit.

Removed universal evade attack

The universal P+K evade attack that used to activate during an evade has been removed. Now, the character's own native P+K move activates instead.

Abolished crouch-dash cancel from back dash

You can no longer cancel a back dash into a crouch dash or crouching back dash.

Back dash hits now count as counter

Getting hit during a back dash now results in a counter hit. Mid kicks inflict a dedicated back-dash hit state.

Removed stagger on elbows/mid kicks vs crouching opponents

Previously, hitting a crouching opponent with an elbow or mid kick caused a stagger. Now it's treated as normal hitstun.

Abolished half-guard

The system where certain mid attacks landing on a crouching guard would only deal partial damage with a stagger has been removed. Such mid attacks now register as a clean hit.

Jump hits now treated as airborne hits

Getting hit while jumping now applies airborne hit and air-combo rules instead of grounded hit rules.

Introduced destructible walls

Walls on some stages break under certain conditions. Broken walls stay open in subsequent rounds, changing the ring-out zones.

Repeated bound limit for the same move

The same bound move can only trigger a bound once per combo. Using a different bound move is still allowed.

Down attacks excluded from bound combo hit count

Down attacks no longer consume the hit-count limit for bound combos.

Limited repeated wall slams

Within a single ground combo, you can no longer keep extending it by repeating a wall slam the same way.

Abolished delayed wakeup attacks

You used to be able to deliberately delay a wakeup attack. Now you must choose it during the input window before getting up — inputting after that window means it won't come out.

Wakeup attacks now use fixed timing

Mashing K right before getting up gives a mid wakeup attack; mashing 2K gives a low wakeup attack. Once chosen, it activates at a fixed timing.

Changed hurtbox at the start of a jump

The hitbox state at the moment a jump begins has changed from crouching to standing.

Neutral P changed to an advancing jab

The advancing P that previously required a direction input now comes out with no direction needed — the basic P now steps toward the opponent by default.

Reorganized weight classes into 5 tiers

Weight classes were consolidated into super-heavyweight, heavyweight, middleweight, lightweight, and super-lightweight. The reduced weight gap between characters cleaned up air-combo requirements.

Certain recovery hits now count as stagger counter

Getting hit while recovering from a parry/sabaki, while transitioning from an attack into a stance, or after various cancel actions like K-cancel is now treated as a stagger counter instead of a normal hit.

Back dash mid-kick hit state can no longer be recovered

The dedicated hit state from mid kicks during a back dash can no longer be recovered with a shake input.

Breakfall input changed to any button

Previously only P+K+G worked. Now the existing P+K+G, or any single one of P, K, or G, will trigger a breakfall — even pressing G alone works.