BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle is a standalone 2D fighting game from Arc System Works that brings characters from various series together in a tag team system. Instead of controlling just one fighter, you put together a duo and combine switches, partner attacks and your own combos.

At launch, the game combined BlazBlue, Persona 4 Arena, Under Night In-Birth and the animated series RWBY. Further guest characters came via DLC. Anime sprites in front of three-dimensional arenas, a detailed tutorial and simplified special moves define the presentation.

Arc System Works released Cross Tag Battle on June 5, 2018 in North America for PC, PS4 and Nintendo Switch. In Europe, the Switch version came out on June 22, 2018; the German PlayStation Store lists July 5, 2018 for the PS4 version. The differences in dates are due to regions.

Version 2.0 brought additional characters and stories in November 2019. Today's Steam date of November 20, 2019 must therefore not be confused with the original game launch in 2018. In 2022, Steam and PS4 received rollback netcode. In April 2023, versions for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S were also released.

The game was released natively for PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Versions for Xbox One and Series were offered as Special Editions in 2023. Microsoft also lists a PC version and the Xbox Play Anywhere feature.

The PS4 version can be played on PS5 via backward compatibility, but it does not count as a separate native PS5 release. Likewise, the original Nintendo Switch version is no proof of a standalone Switch 2 version. Windows versions in different stores remain part of the same PC platform.

Each team fights with two characters. While one actively fights, the second can be used for support actions or switched in directly. Well-timed attacks can enable longer combos, while careless switches leave you vulnerable. The choice of duo therefore affects tactics.

The combat system offers simplified inputs and an introduction, but remains demanding through timing, spacing and the coordination of both characters. Not every combination plays the same way: range, pace and attack types of the fighters open up different strategies. Fights are shown in animated 2D anime style in front of spatial arenas.

Additional packs expand the character list with fighters from the franchises involved. Packs 1 to 7 bring characters from BlazBlue, Persona 4 Arena and Under Night In-Birth, among others; guest fighters from Arcana Heart were added too.

The large Version 2.0 expansion from November 2019 adds nine characters, including Yumi from Senran Kagura, Akatsuki and Blitztank from Akatsuki Blitzkampf, and Neo Politan from RWBY. New stories, avatars and colors are part of the pack. According to Steam, the basic balance and interface changes were planned even without buying this DLC. The Special Edition bundles the base game and the earlier expansions.

For the Steam version, Arc System Works lists at least 4 GB RAM, an Intel Core i5 or i7, a GeForce GTX 650 or Radeon R7 250, and 28 GB free storage. DirectX 9.0c and a broadband internet connection are also on the official requirements list. A 16:9 monitor is recommended for optimal display.

The original system information mentions Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. Since January 2024, however, the Steam client itself requires Windows 10 or newer. This is a requirement of the distribution software and must not be read as a retroactively confirmed compatibility check for every older operating system.

Cross Tag Battle can be played alone against CPU opponents, locally with two players, and online. Nintendo lists one to two players on one device for the Switch version, and online rooms with up to eight participants. Eight participants in a lobby do not mean eight characters fighting at once: the actual match remains a duel between two two-person teams.

On April 14, 2022, the game received rollback netcode on Steam and PlayStation 4, according to Arc System Works. This network technology is meant to make inputs in online duels smoother, even over longer distances. The same implementation is not automatically confirmed for all later Xbox or Nintendo versions by this developer announcement.

The offering includes single-player content, fights against other people and an introduction to basic team actions. Original dialogue and story scenes form the narrative framework, which the Version 2.0 pack expands with further stories. On PC, Steam also supports Remote Play Together.

German on-screen text is listed for the European Nintendo Switch and PS4 versions as well as on Steam. German voice acting, however, is not listed on Steam. English and Japanese voice acting are offered; the available languages may be documented differently between regions and store versions.

With this game, the edition matters a lot. The Standard Edition contains the main game, while numerous additional characters, colors and the Version 2.0 content are offered separately in other editions. Availability and content of the packs should be checked in the respective platform store.

The Special Edition bundles, according to Arc System Works, the main game, the Version 2.0 expansion and the previously released DLC packs. With this edition, the Xbox One, Xbox Series and Microsoft Store versions for PC also launched in 2023. Editions are not standalone platform releases. Changing offers or prices are deliberately not kept in the permanent game description.

Arc System Works developed the game and published it in Japan and North America. For the European PS4 and Switch versions, PQube was the publisher. That explains why different companies and release dates appear in the stores by region.

The main game and its extra characters include licenses from several independent franchises. The link to BlazBlue lies in the playable characters and the developer's origins, not in an exclusive storyline within the main series.