Baiken gameplay and release date revealed for Guilty Gear Strive. The Samurai slasher returns

ArcSystem Works (ArcSys) provided a first look at Guilty Gear Strive's next DLC character, Baiken. The fan-favorite samurai was announced last December but this is the first time we get to see her in action.

The short trailer highlights some of her attacks, special moves, and combos. It also includes numerous voice lines showcasing her fierce and confident personality. The trailer also revealed that Baiken will be available to play on January 28.

One of the most iconic characters from the Guilty Gear series, Baiken is a Japanese samurai consumed by revenge. When her home was destroyed by the Gears, many of her friends and family were lost in the bloodshed.

Tormented by trauma, she now wanders in search of the Gear Maker to carry out vengeance. Baiken is easily recognized by her giant red ponytail, goggle-like eyepatch, and clawed hook in place of her arm.

Baiken appearances in Guilty Gears franchise:

Baiken made her debut in the very first Guilty Gear in 1998. She appeared in the next two sequels before being left off the roster for Guilty Gear 2: Overture. Baiken returned in Guilty Gear Xrd, although initially she was merely an NPC.

She was included as a playable character in Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2. This was Xrd's second and final update released three years later in 2017. Baiken finally made her proper return to the Guilty Gear after a ten-year absence from the series.

ArcSys won't make players wait so long for Baiken in Guilty Gear Strive. She has been one of the most requested characters for DLC since the game's launch and developers answered the calls. Baiken will join the Strive roster less than one year after release.

She is the fourth DLC character included in the Season 1 Pass, joining Goldlewis, Jack-O, and Happy Chaos. A fifth and final character for the pass will also arrive later this year.

Despite her popularity, Baiken was one of the most seldom-used characters in Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2. ArcSys took note of this and decided to completely overhaul Baiken's move set. In past games, she has traditionally been a defensive fighter focused on punishing opponents' mistakes.

Since Strive favors offensive in general, it makes sense that developers wanted to reshape her playstyle to fit the current meta. Based on her Starter Guide, Baiken's playstyle now seems to balance mid-range spacing with close-range mixups.

Baiken comes equipped with almost an entirely new arsenal of Special Moves in Guilty Gear Strive. The only one carried over from previously iterations is Tatami Gaeshi.

This signature move has Baiken drop a Tatami mat on the ground and can be used in the air. It launches the opponent on hit and is useful for starting or extending combos. The air version works as a projectile and can hit the opponent even after Baiken has carried out the attack animation.

Kabari has a lot of utility and will likely be the focal point of Baiken's offense. This mid-range poke brings the opponent closer to Baiken and actually attaches the two fighters together. This keeps Baiken's opponent from backdashing out of her optimal range. Be aware that this also prevents Baiken from backdashing too far herself.

The attachment will break after a certain amount of time. Kabari can be followed up with combos on Counter Hit and Baiken's mixups create dangerous reset situations. These are just a pair of her Special Moves highlighted in the Starter Guide.

Youzansen is an air-only attack that can start or extend combos after landing jumping attacks. It is also an overhead that will hit crouch-blocking opponents, giving Baiken a threatening air dash mixup. True to her defensive origins, Baiken also has a parry in the form of Kiragi.

When timed with an opponent's attack, Baiken will counter with a powerful throw that wipes out nearly a third of their life bar. The parry won't work against projectiles and whiffing Kiragi leaves Baiken extremely vulnerable.

Baiken will be available in Guilty Gear Strive this Friday, January 28. For more news on Guilty Gear Strive and the FGC, follow Esports.gg.